Imposition: Akeredolu Threatens To Dump APC As Party Members Plan Mega Protest Against Oshiomhole

All is not well within the camp of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Ondo state, as Governor Rotimi Akeredolu is said to have threatened to leave the party over the fallout of the primaries for the 2019 general election.

SUNSHINE HERALD had reported how Governor Akeredolu in company of his Kaduna state counterpart, Nasir El-Rufai held a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

The meeting sources confirmed was to request that the president prevail on National Chairman of APC Adams Oshiomole to favour their candidates.

In the list of candidates released by the National Working Committee, NWC of the APC on Tuesday, all aspirants of the party hoping to unseat the incumbent senators were disqualified from the primary election.

Among those who were not cleared are Chairman of Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko Governing Council, Tunji Abayomi, former house of assembly speaker, Victor Olabimtan, Ondo representative on the NDDC Board, Lucky Ayedatiwa, Morayo Lebi, Pastor Jide Ipinsagba, Gbenga Elegbeleye,
Dr. Adeoye Julius Olatunji Felder, Mr. Odunayo Akinrinsola and Engr Janet Febisola.

No reason was given for thier disqualification.

Abayomi and Ayedatiwa are believed to be preferred candidates of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for the primaries in Ondo North and South senatorial districts respectively.

While all the governor’s loyalists were not cleared, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, representing Ondo North senatorial district who had been at loggerheads with the governor since the October 2016 governorship primaries that produced Akeredolu was cleared.

Speaking with SUNSHINE HERALD, Abayomi who was one of the aspirants disqualified threatened to drag the party to court over the matter.

Abayomi who spoke on phone with SUNSHINE HERALD, said the National Working Committee, NWC does not have the right to choose who to represent the party.

“They need to provide me a reason why I was disqualified, and that reason must be consistent with the constitution. Because my understanding is that the right to select or elect leaders belong to the people, not to the leaders.

“If they disqualify me and I think the disqualification is unconstitutional, I will seek remedy that is allowed under law, and that will mean that they will have to prove their right to do so, because the mere fact that you are a member of a political party does not mean that you lose all your rights granted by the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria,” he said.

At a press conferernce arranged by Akeredolu’s media team, reported by NIGERIAN CABLE NEWS ONLINE. Abayomi said Adams Oshiomole does not have the intellectual capacity to lead the APC as national chairman.

He said, “There is nothing like automatic ticket in the constitution of the party. He(Oshiomhole) lied that the NWC sat and took that decision.

“He does not have the intellectual capacity to lead the party, he does not have the mind to take decision for the party,he should resign because Oshiomhole has failed as the chairman of the APC. He is unfit and unsuitable to lead the party .Resign! Resign! Resign! Oshiomhole in order not to kill the party.

“Let him (Oshiomhole) know that I am a symbol in Ondo State and that we will stand up and fight this injustice.

Asides Abayomi, the state chairman of the party, Ade Adetimehin and his other state working committee members also attended the press conference.

Speaking at the press conference, Senator Alashoadura of Ondo central, who spoke on behalf of the aggrieved aspirants gave the NWC 24 hours to rescind its actions.

“All we are saying is that APC in Ondo state does not agree with the position of the NWC. We met here and decide in favour of indirect primaries as method of selecting our candidates as stated in our party constitution but NWC overruled us; we complied, now, Abuja is saying no primaries again, they have imposed people, some of whom are not even our members in the face of law to fly our ticket. This is unacceptable,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, sources privy to the discussions with the President said the Governor threatened to leave the APC if the matter was not resolved.

Akeredolu was also said to have met with Oshiomole in Abuja where he made the same stand.

“Where do they derive powers to disqualify aspirants duly screened and certified fit to stand for election under the guise of giving automatic ticket to incumbent Senators and Reps members from?

“This is a declaration of war against our party constitution. The decision to rig out our loyal and committed members from exercising their right after collecting money for nomination form from them was taken by few individuals.

“Legally, if such a fundamental decision is to be taken, it would have to be ratified by the National Executive Committee, NEC, on behalf of the convention since the convention cannot be convened now. It is NEC that acts on behalf of the convention. But from nowhere, a gladiator of illegality took a decision to ban my people from exercising their rights and they expected me to comply? This action will certainly boomerang if not addressed,” Vanguard quoted Akeredolu as saying.

It will be recalled that Akeredolu had been strongly opposed to the emergence of Adams Oshiomole as national chairman of the APC, strongly supporting erstwhile Chairman, John Odigie Oyegun for another’s term in office.

Meanwhile a group loyal to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu is billed to stage a mega protest in Akure the Ondo state capital today.

Security has been beefed up at the state Secretariat of the party in Akure with an Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC and scores of armed policemen taking strategic position.

The protest is to force Oshiomole rescind his decision of face more mass action in the days ahead.