Rotimi Akeredolu , Ondo State Governor, on Monday won the gubernatorial primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Akeredolu beat other contestants with 2,458 votes. The nearest rival, Olusola Oke, polled 262 votes, while the third candidate, by Isaac Kekemeke who scored 19 votes.
Other contestants and their votes included Olayide Adelami and Nathaniel Adojutelegan, who got four votes each, while Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose scored two votes. Ambassador Olusola Iji polled nine votes. Jimi Odimayo Ifeoluwa Oyedele and Segun Abraham had earlier on Sunday withdrawn from the race in suppor of the governor.
The chairman of the election committee, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, while declaring Akeredolu winner of the primary election, noted that a total of 3,016 delegates were accredited for the exercise but that the number of votes cast stood at 2,793. Out of this number, Bello said 2, 760 votes were valid, while 33 were declared invalid.
Delegates from the 18 local government areas of the state took part in the exercise, which took place at the International Cultural and Event Centre, Alagbaka, Akure, the state capital.
There was a heavy presence of armed security men from the police, the Department of State Services, the National Security and the Civil Defence Corps at the venue of the event. On hand also were men of the Federal Road Safety Corps.
Accepting the victory, Akeredolu thanked the delegates for giving the win on his birthday. To his co-contestants, he invited them to partner with him on the journey ahead, thanking them also for making the contest richer.
With this victory, he will face whoever wins the primary for the opposition People’s Democratic Party, in the October 10, 2020 governorship election in the state.
His deputy, Agboola Ajayi, is one of the contestants for PDP’s ticket for the polls, having defected from the APC. If Ajayi wins the ticket, then the October 10 fight will be between the two men, who were once partners but are now at each other’s throat.
