The four leading aspirants at the controversial September 3 All Progressives Congress (APC) Ondo primaries had complained about the delegates list before the election, it has been confirmed.
Many stakeholders are of the opinion that names of non-delegates and even non-APC members were inserted into the delegates list for the primary election.
A source close to the party’s National Electoral Committee (NEC) confided Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN); Olusegun Abraham; Olusola Oke and Ajayi Boroffice submitted petitions against the delegates list used for exercise.
It was learnt that the winner of the primary election, Akeredolu with the highest votes, had submitted an official petition to the party to that effect 24 hours to the exercise.
The allegations of processing, doctoring and padding the delegates list has remained to be the crux of the debacle that befell the election and has caused uneasy tension within the Ondo APC and the Party headquarters.
Political observers said the onus lies on the Electoral Appeal Committee to give a verdict that will either make or mar the anti-corruption stance of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
They noted that a lot of eyes are on the party, stressing the Ondo example will serve as a litmus test for the party.
Feelers have it that there is more pressure on the Committee and the NWC of the party from many interest groups across the state to expose the hypocrisy associated with the ‘disgraceful’ fallout from the primary election.