…demands transparency in vote counting, urges party leaders to resist attempts to compromise
. Campaign office raises alarm over arrest of his supporter, Mr Segun Avoseh
A governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State, Abayomi Hunye, has urged President Bola Tinubu, Governor Dapo Abiodun and other party leaders to ensure that all votes cast during Thursday’s governorship primary are counted fairly without bias.
Hunye also urged the leadership of the party to resist any attempt by those he referred to as “enemies of democracy” to compromise the integrity of the primary election, stressing that members of the party must be given the freedom to select their preferred candidate without interference.
He disclosed this on Thursday after casting his vote at his Tube Ward in Ipokia Local Government Area Council, where hundreds of the party’s members turned out massively to vote for his emergence as governorhip candidate.
Addressing newsmen after casting his vote, Hunye brushed aside rumours within the party claiming he had been disqualified or barred from participating in the primary.
He said the strong presence of supporters at his polling unit was evidence of his wide acceptance and popularity among party members throughout the state.
The governorship aspirant said that despite attempts to spread false information about his eligibility, supporters still came out in large numbers to demonstrate their loyalty and confidence in his candidacy.
He, however, said that voting in his own ward remained peaceful and orderly, including for those perceived to support rival aspirants.
The APC aspirant further reassured supporters that he remains fully in the race and urged the public to disregard rumours suggesting otherwise.
Meanwhile, the campaign office of Hunye raised concerns over the arrest of one of his supporters, Mr Segun Avoseh, during the APC governorship primary election at Maun Ward 1 in Ipokia Local Government Area.
In a statement signed by the Abayomi Hunye Campaign Office, the campaign alleged that Avoseh, a card-carrying APC member and party agent, was arrested after resisting attempts to prevent supporters of Hunye from participating in the primary election.
The statement further alleged that officers at a police station claimed to recognise only Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola as the sole governorship aspirant, leading to the continued detention of Avoseh.
The campaign described the incident as a threat to fairness, neutrality, and democratic participation within the party and called on the Ogun State Commissioner of Police to investigate the circumstances surrounding the arrest.
The campaign also demanded the immediate release of Avoseh if no lawful grounds exist for his detention, equal treatment for supporters of all aspirants, and protection of the integrity of the primary election process.
