A governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in Ondo state, Tunji Light Ariyomo, has pleaded for the reconciliation of the aggrieved aspirants after the conduct of the governorship primary election.Mr. Ariyomo was excluded from the race after paying N50m for the form.
Ariyomo, in a congratulatory message to governor Lucky Ayedatiwa and the candidate of the party in the November 16, governorship election, commended the aspirants for their doggedness.
He congratulated Honourable Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, the winner of the 2024 Ondo State APC Governorship primary election.
According to him “The incumbent Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has won this round in every department of the game.
He said in a statement in Akure, that “The party should reconcile and forge ahead to be able to win the general election. That’s the next stage”.
“I concede that we are not practising American type direct primary yet. That’s the dream of people like me. I also concede that we can’t get their type of outcome from our type of processes.
“But everybody on that ballot that day also knew these facts. So, I plead for understanding and the reconciliation of those that are aggrieved. November is just by the corner”.
Speaking on his exclusion from the race after paying N50m for the form, Ariyomo said that it was due to internal issues between the APC’s Election Organising Committee and the National Organising Secretary over extension of sales of forms.
Ariyomo said he was “not screened alongside other aspirants as the office of the National Organising Secretary did not acknowledge the 2-day extension despite the press statement issued to proclaim same by Felix Morka, the party’s spokesperson, who announced the extension on Thursday 4th of April 2024 in a published statement which is yet to be retracted.
He said that he would not sue the party over the exclusion. According to him “not at all. Suing is out of it. I, Olatunji Ariyomo, will not obstruct a process that has been successfully concluded”
