Former Ondo State PDP Chieftain, Isaac Kekemeke, Emerges APC Chairman
Kekemeke, also a former Secretary to the State Government under the late Governor Olusegun Agagu, scored 499 votes to narrowly defeat Professor Ade Adetimehin, who scored 497.
Other contestants were Soji Bello, Gbenga Adesida and Claudius Daramola.
The event, which was held at the B-Kay multipurpose hall on Ilesha express road, was witnessed by the party supporters from the 18 local government areas of the state.
SaharaReporters observed that the State Congress began with the accreditation of delegates under the watchful eyes of security agencies, which mounted surveillance on strategic locations at the venue.
Our correspondent reports that many of the delegates had a tough time at the entry gate into the hall as they were subjected to heavy scrutiny by officers of the 'Kako Security Guards' who took their time to check for any incriminating materials.
The tight security was critical in view of the party’s recent experience during the ward congresses where a party supporter was shot dead as a result of poor security.
Edwin Ajogun, led men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to provide adequate security at the venue.
Fatai Alo, Secretary of the Committee of the State Congress, told SaharaReporters that close to 1292 delegated from the 203 wards in the state were expected to attend the Congress.
Nonetheless, there were members of the party who served as delegates who felt short-changed. Addressing journalists the party's chairman in Idanre local government area, Victor Alalabiaye disclosed that he was unable to find his name on the delegate lists.
Protesting over the issue, Alalabiaye described it as a means to disenfranchise he and his people from voting, having being invited to be a delegate for his local government area. Many people from his area were seen protesting along with him.
Earlier, a contestant for the Office of the Publicity Secretary of the Party, Omo'ba Abayomi Adesanya, revealed that five wards in Okitipupa area were also short-changed and prevented from voting.
The issue of names been doctored and people prevented from voting had initially raised controversy among the delegates and party supporters who visibly refused an election to hold.
Speaking to Newsmen shortly after he was pronounced winner of the chairmanship contest, Kekemeke described the election as having been devoid of manipulation, declaring his emergence as the APC chair in the state as a change for a new era.
"A new phenomenon of change has appeared in the affairs of the opposition party,” he said. “I would like to sound a note of warning to the powers that be both at the state and federal level that as from now on they will have a constructive opposition that will ask those in government to account for their deeds and misdeeds.
"My primary aim is to reconcile the various tendencies in the APC. We are one family. We will make sure we visit all the nooks and crannies of the state to ensure we make a strong, united, indivisible APC that is ready and set to take over the government of Ondo State."
Also addressing journalists, the former deputy governor of Lagos State and Chairman State Committee on State Congress, Femi Pedro, said the election was conducted under the watchful eyes of agents of each contestant, security personnel and officials of INEC who ensured that the election was free and fair.
Pedro added that although there were heated arguments that could have resulted into crisis, the party was able to manage them with the heavy presence of agencies at the venue.
He further revealed that the party was ready to wrest power from the incumbent Labour Party government led by Olusegun Mimiko.
"The emergence of a new executive in the state has revealed that the days of the Labour Party government in the state are numbered," he said.
SaharaReporters gathered that other party positions will be filled through consensus, which has already been agreed.
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