ONDO: DEMOCRACY WILL TAKE ITS COURSE
As the race for the Ondo governorship heats up, the signs are so clear that the All Progresives Congress is on course to achieve remarkable success in the November 27 election. This is evident, for instance, in the sheer number of aspirants that have expressed interest in flying the APC’s flag in the election. This is indicative, not only, of the immense goodwill our party enjoys in Ondo State but also the confidence the gubernatorial aspirants repose in the APC’s chances in the gubernatorial elections, particularly against the background of the abysmal performance of the Peoples Democratic Party- led administration in the last eight years.
It is not unusual in the context of such intense competition for the ticket of a popular party like the APC, that there will be diverse allegations, insinuations and innuendoes as regards the transparency, impartiality and integrity of the intra-party process. This has always been the case in all party primaries in the country since 1999. But no one can doubt that the APC has always demonstrated its commitment to demonstrably credible intra-party primaries at all levels. This was evident in last year’s presidential primaries as well as the transparent intra-party polls to pick candidates in Kogi and Edo States for example.
As the highest-ranking party leader from Ondo State, I strongly affirm that the Ondo APC governorship primaries will be no exception. The APC as a party is committed to a free, fair and transparent process that will see the candidate with the most votes emerge as flag bearer. And from that moment on, the party, other contenders and the leadership will line up behind that flag bearer. To insinuate a contrary plan without any evidence is political mischief and we must be wary of those pushing this agenda to weaken the APC ahead of the governorship elections.
The screening of all 24 candidates took place in a most transparent manner at the national headquarters in Abuja. Candidates have seen that they have been screened with no intention to disqualify anyone. Each candidate has a right to contest in the race. With the screening concluded, all that sailed through have the chance to campaign as hard as they want. Their concentration should shift to how they will become the choice of the electorate or become the candidate of choice by the electorate. All said and done, the people, in this case, the delegates will ultimately decide.
The attempt to scapegoat the chairman of the party and a few other leaders is unnecessary distraction. The primary will be conducted by the national head quarters of the APC based on the constitution of the party and not the whims of any state party chairman. The delegates’ list is under lock and key. Any complaints can be channelled through me to the national headquarters.
Those attacking and cursing and encouraging hooliganism are only working to weaken the party. They might even be agents of destabilisation.
For each of the aspirants, victory will only be delivered based on the number of people they are able to convince to vote for them and ultimately how they square against our political opponent, the PDP.
Just like in other party primaries both within and even in the most advanced countries, influential party leaders throw their support behind aspirants they believe can best represent the party’s values and ethos as well as help achieve victory in the general election. In the ongoing electoral process in the United States, for instance, Hillary Clinton became her party’s candidate largely with the support of the Democratic Party establishment while Donald Trump emerged triumphant in the Republican Party because the party rank and file defied the preferences of the party establishment. The most important determinant of the emergence of a democratic party’s candidate, therefore, is the will of the majority of the accredited party delegates. It is certainly an unfair underestimation of the intellect and character of the people of Ondo State to insinuate that 3000 delegates will have no minds of their own and can be herded in a given direction through any form of ‘imposition’ or ‘endorsement’. Indeed, once the party principle of free and fair primaries is adhered to the last letter, terms like imposition and endorsement become irrelevant and diversionary. Chief Pius Akinyelure, Vice-Chairman, South West APC