Omole denies losing APC primary, says election was rigged

Omole noted that the party primary, which was conducted at about 8pm used a delegate list that was doctored

By Mosope Michaels 

Olugbenga Omole, the spokesman of Ondo House of Assembly and Chairman, House Committee on lnformation, Youths and Sports has called on the leadership of APC to cancel the election which took place in his constituency.  

The primary which was conducted on Thursday, 26th May, was won by  Emmanuel Gbogi who polled 19 votes, while David Ajobiewe who came second scored 12 votes, and the incumbent, Omole came third with 6 votes.

According to the lawmaker, the exercise was a fraudulent one, where votes were allotted to aspirants by some compromised individuals. 

He went on to say that those involved in the act were so careless that they awarded votes to one David Ajobiewe, an aspirant he claimed had already withdrawn from the race.    

The lawmaker also asserted that the exercise, which was conducted at about 8pm, used a delegate list that was doctored, and names of civil servants were found on the list.  

ALSO READ: Ondo Assembly Spokesman, Omole, loses APC ticket

He submitted that owing to the fraud perpetrated during the primary election, the exercise should either be repeated or the party should declare him as the winner.

He said, “The election was deliberately delayed till around 8 pm which is an odd time to conduct such an election, and accreditation was not done before voting started.

“One of the Aspirant Gbogi Emmanuel who is an ex-convict in conjunction with some leaders of the Party in the local government brought an impostor to vote in place of the aspirant (Emmanuel), whose name was on the delegates list.

“When my agent raised this issue right at the venue of the election he was arrested.

“If an impostor was allowed to vote and his vote was counted then the election was a charade because it is obvious there are other impostors that voted.

“10 Civil Servants’ names were on the delegate list that was used for this election and yet the presiding officers allowed the election to go on. Sections 7, 66(1), 107(1)(f), 137(I)(g), 142(2), 182, and 187(2) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) specifically stated that civil servants cannot participate in politics while still in active service.

“Also Provisions of Public Service Rules 2008 and particularly rules 030422 and 030423 forbids civil servants from participating in politics except the observance of the 30 days resignation window.

“The list of the delegates was only made available to me a few minutes before the commencement of the said voting. All these were perpetrated in conjunction with the party officers that presided over the election.

“Meanwhile the person (Ajobiewe) that was declared second has stepped down before the election and yet votes were allotted to him.

“I call for a fresh, fair, and transparent primary election be conducted because it is obvious that votes were deliberately allotted or I should be declared winner as the person that was declared winner is culpable in the impersonation and the person that was allotted votes to be second has voluntarily withdrawn from the race,”

Kehinde Okeowo:
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