ADC Seeks Cancellation Of Ondo LG Election, Says Poll Confirms APC’s Rejection

The Advanced Democratic Congress has called for the cancellation of the just concluded local government election in Ondo State.

The Ondo State chapter of the party on Tuesday said the poll results should be cancelled because the election was characterised by malpractices and violence allegedly orchestrated in favour of the All Progressives Congress.

The state chairman of the party, Mr Oladimeji Owolabi, who described the election as a charade, said the election was a confirmation of the rejection of the ruling party by the people of the state. He added that the electorate had shown that Governor Akeredolu and the ruling party had failed the people and the party had to cause violence and blatantly rigged the poll.

Owolabi said, “It is on records that the election materials meant for wards 04, 05, 06, and 12 in Ondo West Local Government Area were diverted to the houses of leaders of the All Progressive Congress where some persons carried out illegal voting. The electorate were totally disenfranchised and this can not be called an election. The results should be cancelled.”

Also, a member of the House of Representatives representing Ondo West/Ondo East federal constituency, Abiola Makinde condemned the exercise, alleging that the poll was marred by irregularities .

Makinde also alleged that the APC hired political thugs to cause violence in all the units and wards of Ondo West and Ondo East Local Government Areas during the election, thereby scaring voters away .

He said this through his legislative aide, Mr Adeniyi Adeyosoye.

The federal lawmaker said the election had shown that the APC was not popular in the state, particularly in Ondo East/Ondo West Federal
Constituency, saying that was why the ruling party allegedly engaged in irregularities.

He said “We want the local government election to be cancelled because we didn’t have election in Ondo East and Ondo West Federal Constituency. The APC members ensured that members of the APC were electoral officers, they brought out political thugs and other hoodlums to harass people, beating up everybody.

“They snatched ballot boxes and took the materials to their houses and thumb printed them there. We have video evidence of this act. They engaged in act of violence because they are not popular in the state. They have been rejected, particularly in our federal constituency.”

He said the party was still consulting to know wether to file petitions at the tribunal or not.

But the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Ondo State, Mr Alex Kalejaiye, described the ADC allegation as spurious.

He said opposition parties were concocting lies to discredit the poll, saying the election was free, fair, credible and largely peaceful.

Kalejaiye said, “As stakeholders in the state’s project, members of the APC managed unprovoked attacks from members of the other political parties, with unusual degree of maturity to ensure the success of the election.”