Ondo seeks peaceful APC primaries, urges unity

The Ondo State Government has urged members, aspirants and supporters of the All Progressives Congress to conduct themselves peacefully and responsibly during the primaries of the ruling party in the state.

The primaries for the State House of Assembly, the House of Representatives, and Senate seats is scheduled to hold between May 15 and May 20.

Disclosing this in a statement issued on Wednesday, the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Idowu Ajanaku, described the exercise as an important democratic process that must be peaceful and transparent.

The statement urged party leaders and stakeholders to ensure that the exercise remained free of violence, rancour and any form of disruption before, during and after the primaries.

It read, “The primaries represent another important democratic process for the ruling party and urged all aspirants, party leaders and supporters to ensure the exercise remains hitch-free, transparent and devoid of violence or rancour before, during and after the polls.

“Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa is committed to maintaining orderliness throughout the exercise in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Ondo State must continue to remain a model of political maturity and democratic excellence through the conduct of party members.”

The government further disclosed that it aligned with the directive of the National Working Committee of the APC that direct primaries should be adopted in areas where there was no agreed consensus candidate.

“The Ondo State chapter of the party remains committed to abiding by the guidelines and internal democratic principles laid down by the national leadership of the APC,” the statement added.

The government noted that peaceful coexistence, unity and discipline among members would strengthen the APC ahead of future elections, particularly the 2027 re-election bid of President Tinubu, while appealing to security agencies, electoral officials and party faithful to cooperate in ensuring a credible exercise across the state.