Voting has commenced in the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State on Thursday.

The voting was preceded by the accreditation of delegates in Akure, the state capital.

Seven aspirants were cleared by the Senator Sam-Egwu-led screening committee to contest in the indirect primary election.

The election, held at the International Culture and Events Centre in Akure, has former deputy governor of the state, Agboola Ajayi, as aspirant.

Others are Bamidele Akingboye, Adeolu Akinwumi, Sola Ebiseeni, John Mafo, Kolade Akinjo and Bosun Arebuwa.

According to a statement issued by the Publicity Secretary of PDP in the state, Kennedy Peretei, the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, is the chairman of the seven-man committee to conduct the primary election.

Peretei noted that 627 delegates from the 18 local government areas of the state are expected to vote in the election.

He added that the accreditation of delegates is scheduled to commence by 10:00 in the morning.

Abdullahi Ganduje, National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), has appealed to governorship aspirants in its April 20 primary election in Ondo state to join forces and work for the party’s victory in the forthcoming Nov. 16 governorship election.

He made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja when the aspirants met with members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) at the instance of Ganduje.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the state’s incumbent governor was declared winner of the election.


He emerged winner after polling 48,569 votes to beat his closest rival Mayowa Akinfolarin, who polled 15,343 votes, while Olusola Oke came third with 14,865 votes.

The APC governorship primary election was contested by 16 aspirants.

“The purpose of this meeting is to appeal to us all not to dwell on what happened during the primary, or what is correct or what is not.

“Dwelling on that, will lead to paralysis and the controversy will not favour us considering the galaxy of politicians here, because I know we have lawyers, engineers and other professionals here.

“We are mere stakeholders, but the the state belongs to you all and I know that our desire is for our party to continue to be a ruling party in Ondo State,” the APC national chairman said.

He added that the meeting was to appeal to the aspirants to work with the party and its candidate to ensure it retained its position as the ruling party in the state.


Ganduje said the aspirants should not see themselves as losers, because there is always a second chance.


He recalled how he first contested election in 1999 and lost, but had to recontest 16 years later to become governor of Kano State.

“You are not lost aspirants, but aspirants that will be successful next time,” the APC national chairman said.

NAN reports that the meeting which went into a closed-door after Ganduje’s opening remarks, had in attendance Olusoji Ehinlanwo, a former member of the State House of Assembly, Olugbenga Edema and business magnate, Sen. Jimoh Ibrahim.


Other aspirants in attendance were Mrs Judith Omogoroye, Maj.- Gen. Felix Ohunyeye (rtd), Jimi Odimayo, Morayo Lebi, Diran Iyantan and Ifeoluwa Oyedele.

Also, Mrs Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo, Mayowa Akinfolarin, former Commissioner for Finance, Adewale Akinterinwa; Chief Olusola Oke and Prof. Francis Faduyile were present.(NAN)

A former National Vice Chairman, North-West of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has described as a “mirage”, the presidential ambition of Rabiu Kwankwaso, ex-Kano governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

Lukman, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday, however, said the ruling party can fast-track Kwankwaso’s presidential ambition by opening the party’s door for him to come back and rebuild burnt bridges across the country.

He said the corruption allegations facing APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje in Kano has political undertones, arguing that only a political solution would solve it. He said the troubles facing Ganduje in Kano has to do with his squabble with Kwankwaso.

He said the protracted conflict between Ganduje and Kwankwaso “was an avoidable crisis which emerged because the party didn’t handle it well” which made Kwankwaso dumped the ruling party.

“We must push Dr Abdullahi Ganduje to renegotiate relationships back in his state because it’s political. If you don’t approach it politically, you will never take it away. You can replace Dr Abdullahi Ganduje and if the capacity to get leaders to do the right thing in their base is not addressed, we will continue to get into this,” he said.

Ganduje and some of his family members are being probed by the state anti-graft agency under the control of Governor Abba Yusuf of the NNPP over corruption charges and the matter is in court. Some APC ward chieftains have suspended Ganduje but the matter has been roped in conflicting court judgements, with the APC disowning those chieftains and affirming the ex-Kano governor as the party’s national chairman.

Lukman, a former Director General of Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) of the ruling APC, said, “We must accept that things are not alright within the APC, forget about the Ganduje matter in Kano. The reality is that we have problems that require us to come back to rebuild our party.

“The ambition of Senator Kwankwaso is to become the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Where he is today, I can confidently say that it will be like a mirage for him to be the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“It will take years of building and negotiation across the country which may outlive his lifespan and if we are to fast-track it and open our party for him to come back in such a way that we renegotiate his relationship with Dr Ganduje and across the state, we also renegotiate relationships between leaders and bring in new forces, Nigerians are even likely to have more confidence in the party.