Ondo Commissioner, APC Women Leader, Lead Protest Against Alteration Of Candidates Lists For Nat. Assembly

Ondo state commissioner for women affairs, Seun Osamaye, All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Leader, Princess Oluwayemisi Iji-Ayeola, and  youth leader, Ojo Bright on Monday led protest over alteration of lists of candidates for the national Assembly election in Ondo state due for next year.

The protest, championed by the women’s wing of the APC in Ondo State blocked the busy Ilesha-Owo Expressway, protesting the National Assembly candidates’ list released by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

Dressed in white attire, the women prevented the free flow of traffic for some hours.

The protest also caused a traffic gridlock that temporarily delayed the convoy of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who was returning from Osogbo, Osun State.

Armed with different placards, the women said they would not accept the imposition of candidates on the party by the NWC.

Some of the placards read ” We Reject Abuja List”, “We Stand by Ondo State Congress Results“, ” We Say No to Imposition” and “Ondo State on Fire”

They demanded the withdrawal of the list and the reinstatement of what they described as the authentic candidates who emerged from the party’s May primaries.

The demonstrators accused the party leadership of replacing candidates who won the primaries, alleging that the list released by the NWC did not reflect the outcome of the ward and local government elections conducted across the state’s 203 wards.

The APC had given return tickets to seven out of nine members of the House of Representatives and two serving senators in the state, prompting the protest.

Addressing the protesters, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, APC Women Leader, Princess Oluwayemisi Iji-Ayeola, and Ojo Bright, said the APC primaries held in various constituencies in the state, were peaceful and the results from those primaries must be upheld by the leadership of the party.