Leaders and youths of All Progressives Congress(APC) in Ajue, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State have petitioned Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa alleging that some persons have surreptitiously swapped the name of their chosen councillorship candidate with another person who 0polled one vote in the election process that produced their preferred candidate.
In a petition addressed to the state governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa and received by the Governor Office on December 20, 2024, the petitioners stated that the 16 leaders of the party, four leaders from each of the four zones-Ajue zone, Oro zone, igburowo zone and Lapahun zone- had chosen one of the aspirants, Ayodeji Emmanuel Adesuyan as the candidate of the party for the January 18, 2025 local council election.
They said Adesuyan polled 14 votes, the second aspirants, Mr. Siji polled 1 vote, while the 16th leader, Mrs. Margaret Akinsuroju, was not present at the meeting, but sent High Chief Lisa of Ajue Town to inform the meeting that she could not attend because she travelled to Lagos.
The petition entitled: “Re-Councillorship Candidate: Ajue Ward, Odigbo Local Government,” and signed by 12 leaders, three leaders from each of the four zones, revealed that the leaders of the party had on December 2, 2024 submitted the name of the candidate, with the attached attendance sheet with each leader who participated in the election appending their signatures, to the party’s Local Government chairman in Ore for onward transmission to the state Chairman of the party, Engr. Ade Adetimehin.
Despite the outcome of the process which produced Adesuyan as a consensus candidate of the party and the fact that the ticket has been zoned to Oro, the leaders of the party alleged that the nomination form of the party for the councillorship position is in possession of Siji who polled one vote.
They alleged that the said Siji has been a close ally of Mrs. Margaret Akinsuroju, who she had at different points in time appointed to offices in different capacities.
The APC leaders have, therefore, appealed to Governor Aiyedatiwa to intervene in the matter.
According to the petition, “It is not cleaner to us leaders and the entire members of APC in Ajue Ward, someone who got one vote was given the nomination form of the party against the other aspirants who got 14 votes was rejected.
“The leadership and the entire members of our party are hereby appealing to our governor to please direct that the appropriate stakeholder look into our matter and correct the wrong in the interest of justice and equity.”
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the youths are protesting what they described as Imposition of candidate allegedly by Mrs. Margaret Akinsuroju in collaboration with the state Chairman of the party, Engr. Ade Adetimehin,
The youth alleged that “APC Youth in Oro, Ajue ward say no to imposition of unpopular councillorship candidate by Engineer Adetimehin and Hon Mrs Margaret Akinsuroju.
“How on earth can a candidate Mr. Folasele Siji, who scored only 1 vote, be imposed on Ajue ward against the popular candidate, Hon Adesuyan Ayodeji Emmanuel, that polled 14 votes at the Ward leaders meeting.
“This is grossly unacceptable, considering the fact that this same scenario played out in 2007, (17) years ago when the leadership of Ajue ward PDP gave Oro zone the party ticket for councillorship position, Ajue ward was denied the position by the same factors, as they are currently using their closeness to Engineer Adetimehin to make a mess of a collective mandate given to Hon Ayodeji Adesuyan by the majority of Ajue ward leaders.
“Let it be known that this act of brazen illegality will not stand by God’s grace.”
