Ahead of 2023 general election, major surprises and upsets followed the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Senate, House of Representatives and state House of Assembly primaries across Ondo State.

Delegates that participated in the primary election saw made use of the exercise to vote out non- performing lawmakers hence they allegedly collected money from them but voted against them.

In the House of Assembly segment, the Minority Leader, Rasheed Elegbeleye, and the only female member representing, Ese- Odo constituency, Favour Tomomewo, were sacked by the delegates for alleged non-performance.

It was not a different scenario at the National Assembly segment as two of the three senators were voted out by delegates from their constituencies.

The third serving senator, Prof Ajayi Boroffice, didn’t seek reelection. He was replaced by Tokunbo Modupe in Ondo North.

One of those who lost re-election ticket, a third term senator, Patrick Akinyelure (Ondo Central), was beaten by Chief lfe Adedipe, SAN.

Akinyelure, according to findings, was accused of being arrogant.

But he accused former Governor Olusegun Mimiko of being the architect of his defeat at the primary.

The senator said: “As a ranking senator and with all I have done for them in Ondo Central, the three ad-hoc delegates that favour Olusegun Mimiko were instructed to vote me out.

“The election was transparent but I know that with the volume of what I have done for Ondo Central, I did not expect to be paid this way. But I have a destiny that nobody can stop.”

Another casualty, Senator Nicholas Tofowomo (Ondo South), though performed excellently, was kicked out by a former deputy governor of the state, Hon Agboola Ajayi, with four votes.

A former state Chairman of the PDP, Hon. Clement Faboyede, also eyeing the senatorial district ticket in Ondo Central, came third in the primary election.

Political analysts said that the new voting arrangement gave Mimiko some leverage over other political leaders in the three elections conducted by the PDP in Ondo Central. Mimiko’s factor secured two of the seats in the area for his loyalists in the Senate, the House of Assembly and the House of Representatives.

The former governor’s influence also helped Ajayi to defeat Nicholas Tofowomo in Ond South.

Meanwhile, all those who failed to secure return tickets have congratulated the winners.

Credit: Vanguard