The National Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Osita Izunaso, on Thursday at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, inaugurated a high-powered five-member Election Committee and three-member Election Appeal Committee for the 2016 Ondo State governorship election primaries scheduled for Saturday, September 3 in Akure, the state capital.
The five-member Election Committee is chaired by Jigawa State Governor, Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar.
Other members are: Dr. Bruce Ugbode (Secretary), Hon. Hamma Adama Ali, Prince M. Martins and Engr. Mohammed Lawal.
The three-member Election Appeal Committee is chaired by Mrs. Helen Bendega. Other members are: Alh. Musa Umar (Secretary) and Nikky Ejezie.
Speaking during the inauguration, Izunaso charged the Badaru-led Election Committee to ensure that the Ondo Governorship Primary Election is free, fair and transparent.
He said: “We (APC) have twenty-four 24 aspirants that were screened, cleared and are qualified to contest the election. We have met with all the 24 aspirants at the party level and we have assured them the primaries must be free, fair and transparent. We have no doubt that the team we have assembled will do justice to the desire of our party…In line with the Electoral Act, the candidate with the highest number of votes will be declared winner of the election.
“We do not have a governor right now in Ondo State but I believe that with this exercise, we will have a governor in November in Ondo state. Once the exercise is transparent free and fair, what is between us and the government house of Ondo state will be two months.”
Abubakar said the Committee would ensure Justice and fairness to all the contestants. He assured that the election be transparent, free and fair.
He said: “I assure aspirants that the Committee will not take any side but the side of the truth. We will do our job diligently and with the fear of God. And I assure you that the end result will be one that everybody will be happy about.”
