The crisis over the All Progressives Congress, APC, primary elections, in Ondo State, deepened, yesterday, as Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr, Bamidele Oloyelogun, narrated how he escaped death by the whiskers during the exercise, last weekend.
Oloyelogun contested the Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency primary, held at Igbara Oke, Friday.
The election was, however, later declared inconclusive by the returning officer, Festus Aregbesola, following the violence that characterised the exercise.
Oloyelogun, while narrating his ordeal to newsmen in Akure, said: “The primary is inconclusive up till now. My opponent at the election, Tajudeen Adefisoye, brought in lots of armed men, both military and paramilitary, in about 11 buses. And some men who were in suits and wielding pistols occupied another three vehicles.
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“But at the gate of the venue of the primary in Igbara-Oke, the Area Commander refused to allow them into the venue. The situation was not resolved for about an hour, before my agent and I could even get inside.
“Later, the armed men also gained entrance into the hotel and positioned themselves in each of the rooms, as well as the bar.
“With the situation, I quickly alerted the Returning Officer, Festus Aregebsola; the Divisional Police Officer and the Area Commander that I was not safe.
“I also told him that the people that came into the venue were not delegates. To the extent that they hid inside the toilets, meaning that they already had a motive.
“After they were sent out, accreditation started. Later voting started and when the voting got to the 35th person, my agent, Festus Adebobola, noticed that the delegate was about doing things that were not part of the process. My agent was about to correct the female delegate; the agent of my opponent pounced on my agent and beat him up, to the extent that he slumped.
“We tried to rush him to the hospital to save his life but due to the heavy presence of thugs and armed men, we could not go through the gate.
“So we had to start fanning him and poured water on him. Most of the delegates who were supporting me cannot read and write, so they depend on my agent to assist them.
“Despite the condition of my agent, they continued with the voting process without my presence or my agent.
“Is that a free and fair primary? When I was informed about the situation, I ran into the hall and shouted that the process must be stopped and at a stage, they discontinued the process.
“Immediately, the process was stopped, thugs and the armed men surrounded the venue expecting me to come down When I sensed that my life was already in danger, I called Mr Governor, Deputy Governor and Commissioner of Police that I was no longer safe. For four hours I could not come down, looking for how to escape.
“At the venue, a man, who identified himself as Akeju, claimed that he was sent as an electoral commissioner from Abuja, who we later got know that he is a commissioner from Osun State. He later started counting the votes. After counting, he then put the ballot papers inside his pocket.
“When the entire process was stopped with the threat, I entered the laundry room of the hotel and hid in heaps of towels after turning off the light. We were there for another two hours. They later went to my house in Isarun to look for me. They shot heavily in the community.
“Later, I was sneaked out of the hotel by the DPO through an abandoned road at the back of the hotel. I trekked all through until we got to Owena. The fabricated results that they have been posting on social media are false as well as white lies.
“The primary was a sham and should be cancelled outrightly. Every power belongs to God, no one can get anything without God. But you can’t rob me. The molestation was just too much.”
“Later, the armed men also gained entrance into the hotel and positioned themselves in each of the rooms, as well as the bar.
“With the situation, I quickly alerted the Returning Officer, Festus Aregebsola; the Divisional Police Officer and the Area Commander that I was not safe.
“I also told him that the people that came into the venue were not delegates. To the extent that they hid inside the toilets, meaning that they already had a motive.
“After they were sent out, accreditation started. Later voting started and when the voting got to the 35th person, my agent, Festus Adebobola, noticed that the delegate was about doing things that were not part of the process. My agent was about to correct the female delegate; the agent of my opponent pounced on my agent and beat him up, to the extent that he slumped.
“We tried to rush him to the hospital to save his life but due to the heavy presence of thugs and armed men, we could not go through the gate.
“So we had to start fanning him and poured water on him. Most of the delegates who were supporting me cannot read and write, so they depend on my agent to assist them.
“Despite the condition of my agent, they continued with the voting process without my presence or my agent.
“Is that a free and fair primary? When I was informed about the situation, I ran into the hall and shouted that the process must be stopped and at a stage, they discontinued the process.
“Immediately, the process was stopped, thugs and the armed men surrounded the venue expecting me to come down When I sensed that my life was already in danger, I called Mr Governor, Deputy Governor and Commissioner of Police that I was no longer safe. For four hours I could not come down, looking for how to escape.
“At the venue, a man, who identified himself as Akeju, claimed that he was sent as an electoral commissioner from Abuja, who we later got know that he is a commissioner from Osun State. He later started counting the votes. After counting, he then put the ballot papers inside his pocket.
“When the entire process was stopped with the threat, I entered the laundry room of the hotel and hid in heaps of towels after turning off the light. We were there for another two hours. They later went to my house in Isarun to look for me. They shot heavily in the community.
“Later, I was sneaked out of the hotel by the DPO through an abandoned road at the back of the hotel. I trekked all through until we got to Owena. The fabricated results that they have been posting on social media are false as well as white lies.
“The primary was a sham and should be cancelled outrightly. Every power belongs to God, no one can get anything without God. But you can’t rob me. The molestation was just too much.”
In his reaction, Mr. Tajudeen Adefisoye, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Research and Documentation, Wale Adegoroye, denied importing thugs or disrupting the election.
Ogun PDP Reps aspirant threatens court action
In Ogun State, a House of Representatives aspirant on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Samuel Abiodun-Oni, has threatened legal action over the non-conduct of the party primary for Obafemi Owode/Odeda/Abeokuta North Federal Constituency.
In a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the party, Dr Iyorcha Ayu, Mr Abiodun-Oni said: “Mr. Chairman, I was at the published venue with other voting delegates ready for the primary election on Sunday, 22 May, for the conduct of the primary election.
“INEC and security operatives were equally at the venue. They left when it became impracticable to conduct any election by evening. I left the venue around 8.00 pm on that said date. I have been expecting a date for the conduct of the primary to date.
“Mr Chairman, the primary election of a party is time-bound. I have submitted myself for and was duly cleared by our great party for the primary scheduled as aforementioned.
“In the alternative, I should be declared as the winner of the primary election as the Party Candidate for Abeokuta North, Odeda and Obafemi Owode Federal Constituency.”
Popular Lagos doctor wins APC Reps ticket
Meanwhile, a popular Lagos doctor, Adesola Adedayo has been declared the winner of the APC primary election for Apapa Federal Constituency.
The founder of the popular JimSam Hospital in Apapa-Iganmu defeated the incumbent, Mr Muftau Egberongbe, who was seeking another term.
In the result declared by the Returning Officer, Mr Muniru Akeem, a former member of the House of Representatives from Oshodi Federal Constituency, Adedayo polled 25 votes to Egberongbe’s 24.
A total of 49 delegates were accredited for the exercise, conducted on Friday.
Adedayo and Egberongbe were the two contestants in the exercise.
The result of the shadow poll had been submitted to the party by the Returning Officer.
Adedayo is a two-term chairman of Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Authority, LCDA.
….Akinlade secures ticket too
But a former Federal Commissioner at the Federal Character Commission, Mr Abiodun Akinlade, has been declared the winner of the APC House of Representatives ticket for Yewa South/Ipokia Constituency of Ogun State.
Akinlade, a former three-term lawmaker, relinquished his Ogun West Senatorial ambition, out of respect for the party’s supremacy, to contest the House of Representatives primary elections, held at Oronna Hall, Ilaro, Ogun State on May 27, 2022.
Having served as a member of the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2015 in the Green Chamber, Akinlade, who is the Baba Adinni of Yewaland, polled 109 votes out of 110 accredited votes to emerge victorious over five other aspirants.
While thanking God and the party faithful for the rare privilege, Akinlade promised to improve on his performance by bringing more developmental projects and opportunities to Yewa South and Ipokia Federal constituency.
He also acknowledged the leadership role of Governor Dapo Abiodun, the party leadership, and the magnanimity of some contestants who sacrificed for his emergence, just as he called for the support of all leaders to make Yewa South/Ipokia great again.
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