Intriques as 16 Aspirants Get APC’s Nod for Ondo Guber Primary
Fidelis David reports that the race to the November 16, 2024 governorship election in Ondo state has commenced in earnest with the clearance of 16 guber aspirants by the All Progressives Congress for its party primary holding in Akure, the state capital on Saturday.
Next Saturday, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State would produced its candidate for the November 16, 2024 governorship election through a direct primary election. Basically, out of over 20 gladiators throwing their hats into the ring as gubernatorial aspirants, 16 of them picked the expression of interest and nomination forms while the party’s National Gubernatorial Aspirants Screening Committee, commenced their screening on Friday, April 12.
By Saturday, the committee had given all the 16 aspirants a clean bill of health.
The aspirants in no particular order include the incumbent governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; former Commissioner for Finance, Wale Akinterinwa; Olusola Oke; Mayowa Akinfolarin; Senator Jimoh Ibrahim; former APC National Vice Chairman (Southwest), Isaacs Kekemeke and Gbenga Edema.
Others are Major General Ohunyeye Olamide Felix (rtd), Jimi Odimayo, Olusoji Adewale Ehinlanwo, Morayo Lebi, Diran Iyantan, Prof. Francis Faduyile and Engr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele while the two female aspirants among them are Funmilayo Adekojo, and Mrs. Funke Omogoroye Judith.
The seven-man Screening Committee led by Senator Joshua Lidani gave all the aspirants the nod to contest the primary after a thorough screening which took place on Friday in Abuja after the inauguration of the Committee and the Screening Appeal Committees by the party’s Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Duru.
After over eight hours of interaction and scrutiny of documents submitted by the aspirants, the committee declared that all the 16 aspirants met the requirements to contest the election.
The clearance of all the aspirants was contained in a report submitted to the party by the chairman of the Committee on Saturday to the Directorate of Organisation of the party. The committee revealed in its report that all aspirants demonstrated a willingness to support any aspirant that emerges as the party’s standard bearer for the November 2024 gubernatorial election in Ondo State.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has revealed that 16 out of 19 registered political parties have indicated interest in contesting the election.
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, (REC) in Ondo State, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, also at a meeting with the representatives of political parties at the Commission’s office in Akure listed the parties to include the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Accord Party, Action Alliance, African Action Congress, African Democratic Congress, (ADC), African Democratic Party (ADP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
“Others are Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Action Peoples Party, Boot Party, Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), National Rescue Movement, Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Youth Party, Young Progressives Party (YPP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).”
She re-echoed that the Governorship election will hold on Saturday, 16th November 2024 as party primaries are expected to hold between 6th to 27th April 2024 as provided in Section 178 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
However, considering the number of aspirants who obtain the form, the question has been whether the primary will be rancour free or not?
Currently, members of the APC in the state appeared to be disunited but the Chairman, Ade Adetimehin said there is no cause for alarm, noting that his efforts are geared towards fostering unity in the party.
Divisive Utterances
The APC chairman warned political supporters of aspirants against divisive utterances and actions, ahead of the party primary slated for April 20.
This came two days after party elders, under the aegis of Ondo APC Aborigines, endorsed Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as their preferred aspirant, a move which was rejected by the campaign organisations of two other frontline APC governorship aspirants, Wale Akinterinwa and Olusola Oke.
The APC Aborigines
Basically, the ‘APC Aborigines’ at their meeting held in Akure, said they settled for Aiyedatiwa because he is rated highest among the aspirants.
The group had earlier announced that it had screened the over 10 APC governorship aspirants down to three, saying it would finally narrow down to one, based on set criteria.
Its Chairman and former Ambassador to Togo, Sola Iji, announced their choice of Aiyedatiwa, saying, “We resolved in our first meeting to commit ourselves to a unanimous goal in the forthcoming governorship primary of the APC in the state. We consider this as a necessary step towards asserting our true worth in the party.
“We are determined to deploy our numerical strength and resources to ensure the victory of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa at the primary. It is our fervent belief that Governor Aiyedatiwa’s candidature will position our party for a resounding victory at the general election and engender good governance in the state,” Iji said.
Pillars of Equal Opportunities
However, the State Chairman of the party described as unnecessary the idea of some people constituting themselves into “the aborigines of APC” of the State chapter.
The party contended that the unity of the party is erected on the pillars of equal opportunities, irrespective of whatever considerations.
“The chapter would not condone acts that are aimed at making some members inferior to others, on account of when they joined the party. The chapter is for all, and would continue to encourage equal opportunities for all the members. New members should entertain no fears in this regards”, Adetimehin assured.
The party urged aspirants to be weary of desperate supporters, who fan embers of disunity for personal gains, saying such action was not healthy for the vibrant state chapter of the party.
Adetimehin appealed to political gladiators to exhibit regards for the party’s governorship aspirants, and other stakeholders to avoid unnecessary friction in the political space.
He noted that Ondo State is known for organisation and enviable political history that should be demonstrated at critical moments saying the party owes it a duty to showcase the rare ability to go into any contest without rancor.
Also, Wale Akinterinwa and Olusola Oke through spokespersons of their campaign organisations, Mr Segun Ajiboye and Mr Ojo Oyewamide respectively, described the decision of the APC elders as warped.
Akinterinwa specifically said, “If the discussion for endorsement of an aspirant were a matter in the court of law, these set of elders would have been asked to recuse themselves. Both Ambassador Sola Iji and Senator Ajayi Boroffice (members of the Aborigine) were conspicuously present when Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa declared his intention to contest the election”.
For Governor Aiyedatiwa who was swornin on December 27 2023 after the death of his principal, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, he believed that there is nothing to fear about his chances of picking the ticket.
Adetimehin appealed to political gladiators to exhibit regards for the party’s governorship aspirants, and other stakeholders to avoid unnecessary friction in the political space. He noted that Ondo State is known for organisation and enviable political history that should be demonstrated at critical moments saying the party owes it a duty to showcase the rare ability to go into any contest without rancor. Also, Wale Akinterinwa and Olusola Oke through spokespersons of their campaign organisations, Mr Segun Ajiboye and Mr Ojo Oyewamide respectively, described the decision of the APC elders as warped. Akinterinwa specifically said, if the discussion for endorsement of an aspirant were a matter in the court of law, these set of elders would have been asked to recuse themselves. Both Ambassador Sola Iji and Senator Ajayi Boroffice (members of the Aborigine) were conspicuously present when Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa declared his intention to contest the election.