Many angered members of the APC in Ondo State today blockaded Ilesha-Akure-Benin Expressway protesting the list of candidate the party’s National Working Committee approved for the National Assembly primaries.

The protest was headed by the party’s women’s wing. The protesters claimed that the APC national leader approved candidate of their choice instead of the candidate that won the primaries.

Carrying placards bearing slogans such as “The Election Was Peaceful and Transparent, Our Votes Must Count,” “APC Women Say No to Mago-Mago,” “APC National, Do the Right Thing,” “We Reject Abuja List,” “We Stand by Ondo State Congress Results,” “We Say No to Imposition,” and “Ondo State on Fire,” the demonstrators demanded the immediate withdrawal of the controversial list.

The protesters claimed the election was peaceful all over Ondo and that the Party was trying to impose candidate on them.

Speaking on protesters behalf the, the Ondo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Seun Osamaye, described the list being circulated as fake, saying it did not reflect the mandate freely given by party members.

Osemaye said the women participated across the state’s 203 political wards and knew the candidates who emerged victorious in the primaries.
“We know those we voted for. We know those who won the elections after the votes were counted. So why does the list being circulated online not reflect the people’s mandate?” she asked.

Osemaye rejected the result which she referred to as “mago-mago” and “corner-corner” insisting that the people’s vote must count.

She added that “We know that Bola Ahmed Tinubu is president who believe in justice, fairness and integrity. We are demanding that the genie result of the primaries be respected because what was posted online does not reflect the will of our member.

Also, addressing the protesters, the APC Women Leader in Ondo State, Princess Oluwayemisi Iji-Ayeola, alleged that the lists of candidates for the primaries were hijacked.

She opened that: “We are crying against injustice. We are crying against one man dictating the fate of Ondo State. We women are crying against one man changing the future of Ondo State,”

She described the development as a slight on the APC in the state, adding that it is an affront to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s leadership, alleging that the state’s political process was being dictated by external interests rather than the wishes of party members.

Also speaking, a youth leader in the party, Mr Ojo Bright, said members were prepared to resist any attempt by the APC national leadership to impose candidates on the state.
“Today, what you are seeing here is the end of a democratic coup in Ondo State. The democratic coup is that the people of Ondo State, who are members of our great party, voted en masse during the direct primary, and the results reflected the will and mandate of the people.

“The South-West remains a peaceful region and a stronghold of the President, where he enjoys overwhelming support. That is why we are asking: how did this democratic coup against our people come about?
“If anyone attempts to disrupt the peace of Nigeria by creating a crisis within our party in Ondo State, let it be on record that we, the people, will resist. Nobody has defeated the army of the people in history, and nobody can defeat the people of Ondo State,” he said.

The protest is coming barely a day after the party disowned the purported official list of successful candidates from its recently held primaries in circulation, describing it as fake and unauthorised.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja that the party had not released any official list of winners of its primaries.