Kehinde Fajobi
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has secured victories in 16 of the 18 declared local government areas in the Ondo council elections, according to the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC).
Joseph Aremo, the ODIEC chairman, announced the results on Sunday in Akure, confirming that APC also won all councillorship seats in the 16 LGAs.
Aremo explained that elections in Ondo West LGA had been rescheduled, and results from Owo LGA were still pending. He attributed the delay in Ondo West to an outdated logo of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) on the ballot papers.
“The new logo of the party was approved late last year, and the process was ongoing. It is not as if we just started. We could have expected the party to draw our attention to the discrepancy earlier,” Aremo said.
He added that despite the NNPP’s formal complaint, election preparations had been underway before the updated logo was approved.
He assured the public that the rescheduled poll would be conducted efficiently and that the delay would not impact results from other councils.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had withdrawn from the elections, alleging ODIEC’s inability to conduct a free and fair process. Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State dismissed the PDP’s withdrawal as “an act of cowardice.”
Speaking after voting at Ward 4, Polling Unit 5 in Ilaje LGA, Aiyedatiwa said, “I believe ODIEC will conduct a free and fair election.”