The seven-man Primary Election Committee set up by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to conduct the governorship primary election in Ondo state say they are in the state to deliver a candidate for the party.
Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo and former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, are to superintend the Ondo governorship primary election slated for Saturday.
Other members are a former Oyo Deputy Governor, Iyiola Oladokun; Senator Lekan Mustapha, Adefunmilayo Tejuoso; Margaret Duru and Dr. Sani Danjuma.
The committee has been saddled with the responsibility to conduct a direct primary in all 18 local government areas of the State to pick the party’s flag bearer ahead of the November 2024 governorship election.
Addressing newsmen after arriving Ondo state on Friday night, Ovie Omo-Agege said, “We are here as part of a seven member primary election committee headed by his Excellency, governor of Kogi state, Hamed Ododo and I am the secretary of the committee and other members here with me.
“The directive given to us was clear. Go to Ondo state and conduct a free and fair primary and return to us a flag bearer.
“As we stepped into the state, the first thing we did was to visit with the party state chairman with the state working committee and indeed the state executive committee where we informed them of our mission as directed by the national working committee of the party.
“Thereafter we paid courtesy visit on the governor as the governor of the state. We thereafter met with the security agency, the CP and state director of the DSS.
“We later called for a stakeholders meeting where we invited all the 16 aspirants along with the other stakeholders in the state.
“Despite the short notice, it was well attended as we have about 12 to 13 aspirants and those who were not here were represented.
“During the interactive meeting, we stated clearly the extent of our preparation. We came in from Abuja with all the election materials and the guidelines for the exercise alongside the electoral officers who will assist across the 203 wards .
“We told them the mode of election is direct so we expect everybody who is a card carrying member and whose name is in the real validating register to show up and participate with the accreditation starting at about 10am on Saturday.
“We have been given the assurance by security agencies that they are ready and have already worked out their deployment arrangements.
“But more importantly, we were able to stress to the 16 aspirants that this is a family contest, all we are seeking to achieve on Saturday is to produce a flagbearer but everyone is going to be a winner on Saturday. Those who did not make it on Saturday should try again whenever the opportunity arises or the next four years.
“We are ready to hit the ground running on Saturday and we believe that we will have a seamless and peaceful exercise.”
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