In Oyo, Governor Ajimobi defeated the son of a former governor of the state, late Lam Adesina, Dr. Ayobami Lam-Adesina, to secure his second term ticket.
At the party’s primary conducted by Lumumba Adeh-led five-man electoral committee, Ajimobi polled 4,662 votes to defeat his only challenger, who polled 22 votes. Ninety of the total votes were declared invalid while the result was declared at 7.40 pm.
The third aspirant, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, who was on Monday cleared in Lagos to contest along with the two others, however, pulled out of the race on Wednesday when he filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Ibadan, asking the court to declare the congress invalid and illegal in view of the manner the delegates were selected.
Shittu, who is a former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General in the state, had contested against Ajimobi in 2011 as a candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change. He shunned the Thursday congress.
Adeh, before the exercise commenced, said, “We had three aspirants screened by the APC Screening Committee and they are Barrister Adebayo Shittu, Dr. Wasiu Abayomi Lam-Adesina and Senator Abiola Ajimobi.
“Yesterday (Wednesday), we had interaction with all the aspirants but one of the aspirants, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, indicated that he was not going to participate in the exercise.
“He submitted a petition but that would not stop the exercise; and it is by way of information. His petition or letter will be forwarded to the national secretariat of the party.”
In his address after the victory, Ajimobi expressed the optimism that having crossed the first hurdle, it would be easy to concentrate on the main election and win again.
With files from Punch newspapers
