As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held its nationwide primary election for the House of Assembly yesterday, the Ondo State chapter held parallel elections in some constituencies of the state.
It was learnt that the development was not unconnected with the yet-be-resolved leadership crisis rocking the State chapter of the party in the recent times.
In some of the venues in Akure visited by DAILY POST, like the Akure South Constituencies one and two, the elections were held peacefully by each of the factions while officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ) were not present to monitor the exercise.
At the end of the day, each of the factions was claiming to have elected an authentic candidate at its primaries.
However, the case was different in some constituencies as it was gathered that in Idanre, Ese Odo, Ondo East and West State Constituencies, the two factions harmonized and held a successful exercise.
In his reaction, the State Chairman of the party, Mr Ebenezer Alabi expressed his delight over the exercise, saying his faction held a peaceful and successful primaries throughout the 26 State Constituencies of the state.
He, however, denied the absence of INEC at the venue of the primaries as he said the officials were present but only came late due to some rearrangement that occurred between the representatives of the two factions at the INEC office.
“The INEC officials came to monitor the exercise, it is only there were delay in coming, initially we had the argument in their office about the conflicting list that was sent to their office, one from the Governor and one from the party, but it was finally resolved, that order of the court says the executive of our party remains and by that decision, they have mandated all their staff to go and monitor the exercise”, Alabi stated.
He then expressed assurance that the crisis would be over, saying his faction was ready for truce and ready to unite with the other faction so that the party could move forward.
In his own comment about the exercise, however, the State Commissioner for Information, Mr Kayode Akinmade said the exercise held in his own Constituency and some Constituencies in the state, adding that INEC officials were also present at the venues of the exercise.
“There was no problem in our constituency, if you had come to Idanre, you would have seen INEC officials that came to monitor the exercise, there is only one PDP recognized in our own constituency because it involves the old and the new PDP”, Akinmade explained.
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