Amidst protests over the conduct of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in Ondo State, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa was declared the winner early on Monday morning.

Usman Ododo, Chairman of the party’s Primary Election Committee for Ondo State and Governor of Kogi, announced that Aiyedatiwa, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest vote, emerged as the winner.

The primary election saw 171,922 party members revalidated to vote in 203 wards across the 18 local government areas of the state.

Aiyedatiwa garnered 48,569 votes, defeating his closest opponent, Mr Mayowa Akinfolarin, who secured 15,343 votes out of the 95,178 valid votes counted. Mr Olusola Oke, SAN, came in third with 14,195 votes.

According to Ododo, Aiyedatiwa won in 16 out of the 18 local government areas, while Oke won in one. Voting in Ifedore Local Government Area was not conducted due to widespread violence and threats to life.

Ododo commended all party members for their courage and perseverance during the exercise, describing the primary election as peaceful. He urged aspirants and their supporters not to let the election results divide them and emphasized the need for unity within the party.

Despite adopting the direct mode for the primary, irregularities led to a rerun on Sunday in the 13 wards of Okitipupa Local Government Area.

Earlier, some aspirants criticized the conduct of the primary, alleging violence and non-arrival of materials and officials in some wards. Supporters of certain aspirants also protested at the APC secretariat in Akure on Sunday, calling for the cancellation of the exercise.

Other aspirants who participated in the primary include Mr Isaac Kekemeke, Mr Olusoji Ehinlanwo, Mr Olugbenga Edema, Sen. Jimoh Ibrahim, Mr Diran Iyantan, Prof. Dayo Faduyile, Mr Ifeoluwa Oyedele, Mrs Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo, Mr Adewale Akinterinwa, Mr Ohunyeye Felix, Mr Morayo Lebi, Mrs Judith Omogoroye, and Mr Jimi Odimayo.