Eight All Progressives Congress aspirants eyeing to occupy the Akoko NorthEast/NorthWest Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives have protested the outcome of the party primary over the allegation of doctored delegates’ list.
The seat became vacant after Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo was appointed Minister of Interior by President Bola Tinubu, reports The Nation.
Aspirants who contested the primary were Chief Olugbenga Araoyinbo, Messrs Makinde, Olarewaju Kazeem, Owolabi, Lasisi Olanipekun, Haruna Adesina, Charles Babalola, and Ife Ehindero.
There was a heavy security presence at Victory College, Ikare-Akoko venue of the primary election.
Some of the protesting aspirants said the delegates were surprised to discover that the displayed list was filled with strange names contrary to the collated names from the ward levels.
One of the aspirants and former Majority Leader in the Ondo State House of Assembly, Olugbenga Araoyinbo, raised the alarm on the development and called on the party leadership to ensure the injustice perpetrated did not hold.
Araoyinbo said the electoral guidelines did not allow an individual to singlehandedly compile and submit delegates list.
He was later arrested by men of the Nigeria Police Force.
But the Chairman of the APC Election Committee, Alhaji Abubakar Nasir, said he was working in consonance with the party’s highlighted guidelines.
Despite the protests and agitation, Alhaji Nasir declared Ife Ehindero as the winner of the primary after polling 105 votes.
A total of 106 delegates were accredited to vote at the primary.
