Bamidele: APC Not at War in Ekiti

Former National Publicity Secretary of Alliance for Democracy ( AD) yesterday clarified that the leaders of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State were not contrary to the impression being created by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Bamidele, an APC senatorial aspirant in Ekiti Central, made the remark during a telephone interview with some journalists in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, asking the party faithfuls to dismiss the PDP’s statement about internal rift in the APC.

Former Ekiti State Governor, Chief Segun Oni had filed a suit challenging the candidacy of the Governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi in the July 14 governorship election, claiming that Fayemi did not properly resigned as the Minister of Solid Minerals Development before the primary election.

The APC constitution demanded the resignation of all appointed contestants 30 days to election, which had formed a basis for which Oni was contesting Fayemi’s propriety to be allowed to contest the primary by APC screening Committee.

On this ground, the APC leaders including Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande and Chief Olusegun Osoba had in a statement asked Oni to withdraw the suit in the interest of peace and unity. But Oni claimed that he did not know anything about the suit, claiming that his supporters filed it.

With the suit and internal crises undermining the party’s primaries, consequently, the PDP described the APC as the party at war. It claimed that the party had divided against itself.

Speaking with journalists yesterday, Bamidele said the suit did not connote that the party was at war against itself in the state, noting that all the issues elicited by the highly contentious moves would be resolved with fairness and justice to all sides.

Bamidele said the impression being created by the PDP that the APC is deeply enmeshed in war of attrition, was a lie taken too far and a figment of imagination of those who were relying on crisis to win elections, rather than popularity.

Oni, who was a runnerup to Fayemi in the May 26 primary of the party, was contesting the eligibility of the governor-elect to participate in the APC internal election on the basis of his failure to resign as the Minister of Mines and Steel Development .