Ondo APC Primary: Aiyedatiwa Thanks Tinubu, Extends Olive Branch To Opponents

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa wants his opponents in the Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election to work with him. He is also thanking President Bola Tinubu for his “leadership” of the party.

Aiyedatiwa was declared the winner of the Ondo primary election, beating other aspirants including a lawmaker Jimoh Ibrahim.

“Your participation has created so much awareness within and outside our party. You mobilized our members and removed apathy,” the Ondo governor said in his acceptance speech after the victory.

“You have also brought in numerous new members into the party. All of these have enriched our democracy and strengthened our party in the state.”

He asked them not “to hold grudges against anyone” but to work for APC’s victory in the November 2024 governorship election.

“We will all gain in this party, though at different times, if we keep faith. I salute your courage and keen interest to lead the State towards development,” the governor said. “It is your right and you are qualified and worthy members of our party.”

While thanking the leadership of the ruling APC for their fairness in the election process, Aiyedatiwa believes his win is a demonstration of “the love shown to me by our members across the state”.

“I want to specially thank the President and Leader of our party, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his leadership,” he said.

“I thank the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, the National Chairman of our party, Alhaji Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, the Progressive Governors, National and State Working Committees of our party, and all stakeholders in the state for their forthrightness in the processes leading to my emergence as the flag-bearer for our party in the Ondo 2024 governorship election.”

His declaration was the culmination of an exercise marred by violence, allegations of unfairness, and protests.

Some of the aspirants had claimed the exercise that started on Saturday was unfair, demanding a cancellation. Disgruntled party members stormed the streets of Akure in the state capital to register their grievances over the election and called for Governor Usman Ododo’s suspension as the chairman of the election committee.
But Ododo says the poll was credible.

“I have received reports from our committee members and security agencies as well as NGOs monitoring the election including video footage and I can say that the process has been transparent and we are going to produce a candidate that will unify the APC ahead of the November 2024 governorship election in the state,” his media aide Ismaila Isah quoted him as saying in a statement on Saturday.