By Chinyere Nwaneri
History was made on Sunday when the son of the former Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, late Moshood Abiola, emerged as the presidential flag bearer of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP).
MKO is the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 botched election saga
Kola Latif Abola polled 2097 votes to beat three other contestants. The runners up include Dr Usman Mohammad Bugaje who secured 813 votes placing second. The third and fourth placing is Key, Ndidi Patience and Mosugu, Gboluga Erosimi who got 329 and 263 votes respectively.
The election which held Sunday in all the states of the federation including FCT Abuja was collated at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.
In Imo the election took place at the party secretariat Okigwe road where 124 delegates voted in a peaceful and orderly election conducted by the returning officer, Taiwo Ayoola, who also doubles as the national assistant publicity secretary of the party.
Delegates were drawn from the 27 local governments as well as members of the state executive committees. There was no void vote after voting and counting.
The Independent National Electoral Commission officials and security operatives were also on hand to witness the conduct. Earlier the state chairman of the party, Uchechukwu Isiodu, had appealed to the members for orderly and good conduct in the exercise expressing optimizing that the party would eventually clinch victory to redeem the country from its numerous challenges
In response to questions from the media on dollar rain that has become part of primary election, Ayoola stated that his party is committed to focusing on its values and ideologies which has no room for fraudulent exercises or buying of votes.
According to him, “this is a rigorous exercise that has tasked our candidates visiting every zone, nobody is sharing any money. Did you see any money shared here?’’, he fired back.
He also defended the holding of presidential elections in the states arguing that it is in line with INEC regulation. The exercise was done by direct primary using the open secret ballot.
