Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State has been appointed by the All Progressive Congress (APC) to head the seven-man committee that will conduct the Ondo Governorship primary election for the party on Saturday, April 16.
The committee is expected to conduct a direct primary election in the 18 local government areas of the State to pick the party’s flag bearer in the November 2024 Governorship election in Ondo.
The committee with a five-man Primary Election Appeal Committee headed by former Bauchi Governor, Mohammed Abubakar will be inaugurated by the party’s National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Arugungu.
Former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege will serve as the Secretary of the Primary Election Committee.
Other members are Sen. Lekan Mustapha; Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuoso; Chief Meg Duru; former Oyo Deputy Governor Iyiola Oladokun and Dr. Sani Danjuma.
The five-man Mohammed Abubakar Appeal Committee has Chief Obiocha Israel as Secretary while other members are Jamilu Isiyiaka Gwamna, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbo, and Chief Onyeka Okafor.
In the build-up to the primary, the Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, became the first aspirant to be cleared by the APC screening committee ahead of the governorship primary.
Aiyedatiwa had been embroiled in an alleged academic certificate forgery that has threatened his chances of clinching the party ticket in the past few weeks.
A legal practitioner, Oladotun Hassan, had petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Police Service Commission over an alleged move by a top-ranking officer to tamper with the report of an ongoing probe into the academic credential of the governor; an allegation that the legal firm of Aiyedatiwa has since refuted.
Meanwhile, Aiyedatiwa after he was cleared by the APC screening committee on Friday, said that the matter has been laid to rest.
