• Group endorses Abraham for primary poll
From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja and Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Ondo State chapter, Mr. Isaac Kekemeke, has blamed the desperation and threatened ambitions of certain aspirants for the governorship election as reasons for the crisis rocking the party in the state.
The former commissioner and secretary to the state government, who spoke at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja recently, argued that though the tempo was expected, behaviour of some of them, due to their frustration, had contributed to the crisis.
“My view on what is responsible for the crisis has been that the number of aspirants that we have was an indication that a lot of people had hope and confidence in our platform and the ability of our platform to help realise their visions and aspirations.
“I think that was key, that shows the popularity of the party and, of course, as the election draws near and aspirations and ambitions are threatened, you expect such emotions.
“However, I would say this is not unusual and this is not extra-ordinary. Even in the most advanced of democracies, as in the United States and in Britain, you see it happen. You see how charged the Democrats are. It happens all over the world.
“When primary elections are peaking, when elections are peaking, you see people express anger, sometimes frustration; this is usual, it takes more than an ordinary man to still remain the same when he sees his ambition evaporating; he will always want to look for a scapegoat,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kekemeke said Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are no threats to APC, adding: “When I hear people talk about the chances of the SDP, I will say well, SDP is not in Ondo State. As for the PDP, I know they have two primaries. When the time for campaigns come, we know what to tell the people of Ondo State.
In another development, a pro-democracy organisation, Ondo State Frontliners, Oyo State chapter, has urged delegates to support Dr. Segun Abraham for the governorship ticket at the party’s primary election.
President of the group, Prof. Adekaye Olomola, said the group met in Ibadan at the weekend and endorsed Abraham for the exercise, based on his “consistency, humane, collaborative and participatory principles which he has demonstrated over time, before he was drafted to the governorship race.”
Olomola, in a statement, said: “We cannot replace an emperor with another emperor because that will definitely spell doom for Ondo State.
“The group’s endorsement of Abraham is based on his antecedents as a successful international private investor. It is such antecedents that are needed at this critical time to lead Ondo State back as a shining light among other states in Nigeria.
“We implore the delegates not to be threatened by the antics of some of the contestants that are sponsoring violence and crying foul after all their attempts to woo national party leaders failed.”