Ondo: APC ignores protests, sends Akeredolu’s name to INEC

The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress has forwarded the name of  Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) to the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja as its governorship candidate in the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State.

It also forwarded the name of Mr. Agboola Ajayi as Akeredolu’s running mate.

While Akeredolu hails from Owo, his running mate is said to be from Ese-Odo Local Government Area of the state.

Authoritative sources, however, said that Ajayi’s name was submitted in the interim and could still be removed.

The Director, Publicity and Voter Education at the commission, Mr. Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, told our correspondent on Thursday in Abuja, that the ruling party had actually submitted the names of its candidate and the running mate to the commission.

Though he refused to mention the names submitted by the party, he nevertheless said “it was true that the APC has submitted the names of its candidates to us.”

Akeredolu, who confirmed that his name had been sent to INEC as the governorship candidate of the APC, described the decision as the work of God.

“What can I say than to thank God who has done it again? God does not abandon His projects notwithstanding the challenges that may arise,” Akeredolu said in a statement issued on Thursday night by the Aketi Media Group.

He said, “I make bold to say to my co-aspirants in the APC, that we are all winners. None is vanquished. We are all victors. None is a loser. I hold the ticket of the party in trust for all of you. I am not perfect. No one is. But I will make up for my imperfections by drawing from your collective strength. Together we shall work in one accord to achieve success in the November 26 governorship election.

“Now is the time to pool our energy and resources together and rescue our state from misery and misrule of the Peoples Democratic Party-led government. United we stand. United we shall be victorious.”

Akeredolu also hailed members of the NWC, especially the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; and President Muhammadu Buhari for ensuring that justice was done to all parties in the dispute.

Akeredolu won the September 3 governorship primary held in Akure by polling 669 votes to defeat Olusegun Abraham who scored 635 votes and Olusola Oke with 576 votes. Senator Robert Ajayi-Boroffice came fourth with 471 votes.