There were more protests on Monday in Akure by chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, over alleged manipulation of delegates’ list for the primaries.
The chieftains called for the disqualification of Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi and arrest of Mr. Kingsley Chinda, who served as secretary of the PDP Ward Congresses Electoral Committee.
They alleged that over 101 fake delegates were smuggled into the ad hoc delegates’ list.
A former council chairman and PDP chieftain from Okitipupa, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, Mr. Bitire Solomon, said the list being paraded would be rejected before the primary election scheduled for next week.
Bitire insisted that Ajayi must be disqualified for fraudulently injecting 101 fake delegates into the ad hoc delegates’ list in collusion with Chinda.
He said: “Three days ago, while the electoral panel was collating the results of the ad-hoc delegates congresses, there were protests by members, who chanted war songs and cursed Ajayi and Chinda at the front of Heritage Hotel in Akure, after information filtered in that both were tampering with the delegates’ list.
“Suddenly after the protests, members of the panel disappeared and later converged on a hotel in Lagos to hatch the plot.
“As we speak, over 101 names have been injected into the ad hoc delegates’ list ahead of the PDP primaries by Ajayi and Chinda.
“We are here to call on the leadership of the party to apprehend Chinda and disqualify the deputy governor for fraudulently manipulating the delegates’ list.”
The Banji Okunomo Campaign Organisation vowed to sue the party if the ‘doctored’ list was not replaced by the party leadership.
Spokesman Akinrinlola Olumide said all they wanted was fair play and justice.
Ajayi’s Chief Press Secretary Babatope Okeowo dismissed the allegations and claimed that the protest against his boss was sponsored by the Ondo State Government.
He said it was unfair to call for the disqualification of his boss, who had refused to join issues with PDP aspirants.
