The governorship primary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ogun State has ended in controversy after two parallel elections produced different winners within 24 hours.
Two leading aspirants, Jimi Lawal and Biodun Collins Ogundipe, were both separately declared winners of the same primary election held over the weekend.
The primary, which involved three contestants including U.S.-based doctor Dr. Marie Bolaji Odusina, was conducted across 236 wards in the state but later split into two rival declarations at different locations in Abeokuta.
One announcement was made at the party secretariat, while another result was declared at Basic Trust International, Oke Ilewo, Abeokuta.
At the party secretariat, the National Organising Secretary of ADC and Secretary of the Ogun Primary Election Committee, Barrister Adebimpe Adelowo, declared Jimi Lawal the winner with 19,428 votes.
He said Ogundipe scored 5,775 votes while Dr. Odusina polled 4,825 votes, adding that Lawal was therefore the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
However, another electoral committee led by Mr. Adeniyi Adams announced a different result, declaring Biodun Collins Ogundipe as the winner with 9,370 votes.
According to this faction, Jimi Lawal scored 6,812 votes while Dr. Odusina had 2,349 votes.
Ogundipe, speaking after his declaration, called for unity among party members, urging all aspirants to work together ahead of the general election.
He said the party must move forward as one family to secure victory in Ogun State, stressing reconciliation and collective effort.
Meanwhile, Dr. Marie Odusina has rejected the outcome of the exercise, describing the process as flawed and unconstitutional.
In a petition to the ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, she alleged multiple irregularities, including voting in different locations within the same ward and lack of proper guidelines for aspirants.
She argued that the process lacked transparency, fairness, and proper coordination, adding that such errors compromised the credibility of the primary election.
Odusina further called for a fresh primary election under a new and neutral electoral committee, insisting that proper procedures must be followed.
She warned that failure to address the irregularities may lead her to seek legal action to protect her rights and the integrity of the process.
In a related development, some party members had earlier petitioned the national secretariat seeking the disqualification of Jimi Lawal over an ongoing corruption-related case, though the party has not taken any public action on the matter.
Reacting to the crisis, the Ogun ADC Publicity Secretary, Olumide Onabajo, insisted that Biodun Ogundipe remains the authentic candidate of the party.
He dismissed the result declaring Lawal as false, saying it was not issued by the properly constituted electoral committee sent by the national leadership.
According to him, only the committee led by Adeniyi Adams and Moshood Babatunde has the authority to conduct and announce the primary results.
He urged members of the public to disregard any conflicting announcements and accept Ogundipe as the duly elected candidate.
The Ogun State ADC Chairman, Femi Soluade, said he was not directly involved in the conduct of the primary election and would only speak fully after receiving a proper briefing.
The crisis has left the party in Ogun State deeply divided as stakeholders await final clarification from the national leadership.