More than 96 hours after the National Assembly primaries of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, aspirants across the state remain in suspense, likening the uncertainty surrounding the exercise to the Islamic fasting period when worshippers await the sighting of the moon and the final declaration by the Sultan before celebrations can begin.
In the same way Muslims complete the required days of fasting but still await the pronouncement of the Sultan of Sokoto to signal the end of Ramadan and commencement of Eid festivities, many APC aspirants in Ondo say they have fulfilled all electoral requirements, cast votes, and completed collation processes, yet remain unable to celebrate or accept defeat without final pronouncement from the party’s national secretariat.
The primaries, conducted on May 16 and 18, were expected to produce candidates for Senate and House of Representatives seats across the three senatorial districts and federal constituencies.
However, 72 hours after voting, no final list has been released by the party headquarters in Abuja, leaving aspirants and their supporters in political limbo.
Party sources said the national leadership halted the final release of some results after reports of disagreements, disruptions, and protests that trailed the collation process in parts of the state. Since then, aspirants who believed they had secured tickets have been left waiting for what many describe as the “moon sighting” from Abuja.
The delay has created an unusual political atmosphere, with several aspirants already mounting congratulatory billboards, issuing appreciation statements and mobilising supporters, despite the absence of any formal declaration from the national secretariat.For many within the party, the suspense has become a test of patience.
While the elections have been conducted and votes counted, nobody appears certain of his political fate until the final word comes from the APC national headquarters.
The uncertainty is most pronounced in the Senate contests, where all aspirants had earlier been screened and cleared but final outcomes remain undisclosed. In Ondo North, the race involved multiple contenders, while Ondo Central and Ondo South also witnessed keenly contested battles among high-profile aspirants.
The House of Representatives contests similarly produced dramatic outcomes, with some winners initially announced before the process became clouded by intervention from the national secretariat.
The development has also deepened tension among supporters of incumbent lawmakers, particularly after several sitting members reportedly failed to secure return tickets.
Political observers say the Ondo primaries have become one of the most contentious in recent years, as neither victory nor defeat can be conclusively claimed until Abuja speaks.
As the silence from the national secretariat persists, aspirants are said to be making frantic contacts, consultations and political calculations, all in search of the “moon” that will determine their political destiny.
Until that final declaration is made, the fate of many APC hopefuls in Ondo remains suspended , not in the ballot box, but in the hands of the party’s national leadership, whose pronouncement is now awaited like the crescent moon after a long fast.
