Priscilla Ofunre, Ado-Ekiti
The Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ado-Ekiti, was, on Wednesday, stormed by some aggrieved local government chairmanship aspirants of the party to protest against what they described as alleged imposition of candidate by some party leaders.
The protesters were former chairman of Ado-Ekiti metropolitan council, Mrs. Tosin Aluko and Tajudeen Gidado, who are chairmanship aspirants in the council for the December 7, 2019, elections in the state.
The party suspended primaries in Ado, Ikole and Ekiti East local government council, on Saturday, over alleged security threat and rumour that some members were planning to disrupt the process in a violent manner.
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The placard-carrying protesters, led by the two aspirants besieged the party Secretariat about 9.30 am and rejected the consensus process that produced Mrs. Omotunde Fajuyi as the candidate.
Addressing the party, Gidado and Aluko rejected the choice of Fajuyi as the candidate, saying such was a flagrant violation of party’s constitution, which stipulated that there must be indirect primary when consensus option failed.
In a letter presented to the State Working Committee on Wednesday, the Deputy Governor and leader of the party in Ado-Ekiti council, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi and 35 others had picked Fajuyi against the wishes of the two other aspirants.
Speaking about the protest and the fence mending steps being taken by the party, the APC State Publicity Secretary, Hon Ade Ajayi, said the party was not interested in imposition of candidates.
Ajayi also exonerated Governor Kayode Fayemi of complicity in the crises that dogged the primaries, warning that nobody should bring the governor into the controversial issue.
“Some group of people came to protest here today and said they rejected the consensus option in Ado-Ekiti. They were led by Mrs. Tosin Aluko and Mr. Tajudeen Gidado.
“They came with placards carrying inscription that they rejected imposition, that they wanted primaries. We have never contemplated imposition as a party.
“The party will look into their protest vis- a vis the letter signed by the deputy governor and 35 leaders . You know that the Deputy Governor is the leader of the party in Ado-Ekiti and you know what it means for him to have signed for consensus. The state exco will meet on the issue and take a position.
“We are not ready to impose anybody and nobody must bring the name of Governor Kayode Fayemi into this matter”.
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Ajayi said the party has set up intervention and reconciliation committees to interface with the aggrieved aspirants on how to resolve the crises trailing the conduct of the primaries in the three councils.
He said the party took a proactive measures by postponing the primaries on Saturday in the three councils upon realising that some hoodlums wanted to hijack the process to allegedly burn down some marked houses .
On efforts being made to pacify the aggrieved candidates, the APC spokesman said : “We are getting representations from various communities, because we recognise the right of every individual to contest in our party without being deprived.
“We have invited leaders from Ikole, Ekiti East and Ado-Ekiti, so all the issues are being attended to and it will be resolved amicably”, he assured.
