The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has urged aggrieved aspirants in last Saturday’s Ondo State governorship primary to drop their petitions against Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who won the poll.
Bellnews reports that the Chairman of the Ondo State Governorship Primary Election and Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, declared Aiyedatiwa the winner of the governorship primary with 48,569 votes.
Aiyedatiwa defeated 15 other APC governorship aspirants to clinch the ticket.
However, some protesting Ondo APC youths, displeased with the development, called for the cancellation of the poll.
Meanwhile, Ganduje met with all the 14 aggrieved aspirants and appealed to them to bury their grievances and rally around Aiyedatiwa so the APC could win the November 16 governorship election.
No fewer than five of the aspirants had submitted petitions, seeking the cancellation of the election.
They are the senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Senator Oke, Senator Folakemi Omogoroye, Senator Edema, Jimmy Odimayo, and Wale Akinterinwa.
Addressing the aggrieved aspirants, Ganduje said, “I have to thank you for honouring our invitation in the shortest time available and also considering the emotional distress as a result of the primary that was conducted a few days ago. Since we are all democrats, there is bound to be ups and downs in politics.
“The purpose of this meeting is to appeal. It is not to dwell on what has happened and what has not; what is correct and what is incorrect. If we dwell on that, it will lead to what we can call ‘too much analysis leads to paralysis.
“If we are to dwell on that, there are professors, lawyers and learned members among us. Some are engineers, and even the two genders have been accommodated. We who are less educated, the controversy will not cover us, considering the galaxy of politicians who are here.
“Our own is to appeal to you. We in the party here are just insiders and outsiders. We are saying this because it is our party. It is also the ruling party in Ondo State and we are managers of the party in Nigeria. So we are an interested party, even if it is a local election.
“We are outsiders because this state belongs to you. This party also belongs to you. I am sure your prayer is for our party to remain the ruling party in your state. I think that should be the focal point for all of you. Our party should remain the ruling party in Ondo State.”