27 Ekiti APC gov’ship aspirants demand fresh exercise

Twenty-seven of the 33 governorship aspirants in last Saturday’s botched APC primary election have raised objection to the position canvassed by the National Working Committee (NWC) that the botched primary will continue where it ended on Saturday.

The aspirants, who demanded a fresh exercise, also demanded that a new team should be constituted to organise a fresh primary.

While reacting to the statement credited to the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi on the Ekiti crisis, yesterday in Ado Ekiti, the aspirants maintained that the ballot cast on Saturday in five local governments before the exercise was disrupted had been rendered invalid.

Present at the parley were Engr. Segun Oni, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Opeyemi Bamidele, Bimbo Daramola, Senator Ayo Arise, Senator Gbenga Aluko, Kola Alabi, Muyiwa Olumilua, Dr Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, Debo Ranti Ajayi, and Dr Bayo Orire, among others.

Dr Yaya-Kolade, the only female aspirant on the platform of the party, said the fact that the results were not counted, collated and announced at the venue, had made the process invalid.

Another aspirant, Mr. Kola Alabi, also dismissed insinuation that it was a gang up against former Governor Kayode Fayemi, an aspirant.

Debo Ajayi, another aspirant, however corrected the impression that the party was divided, saying their demands for transparent primary should not be misinterpreted to mean a rebellion against the party.

While reacting to Abdullahi’s comment, the state chairman of the APC, Chief Jide Awe said, “All we wanted is fairness in the primary and that is what we will continue to ask for as leaders of the party.”