Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Confusion yesterday trailed the aborted All Progressives Congress (APC) Ekiti state governorship primary as the national leadership and the aspirants failed to agree on a suitable date for the conduct of the rescheduled poll.
While the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) fixed the poll for Friday, May 11, 2018, the aspirants have appealed that the exercise be held on Sunday.
One of the aspirant, Ajayi Olowo, who volunteered information to newsmen at the end of a three-hour closed door meeting between the aspirants and members of the party’s national leadership at the secretariat in Abuja yesterday, said the aspirants had appealed to the NWC to shift the date to Sunday in view of the fact that they needed time to get back to the their constituency.
Olowo also said that the leadership of the party has assured them that a few members of the panel would be changed in accordance with their request, pointing out that with such an assurance, they have no reason not to have confidence in the committee expected to conduct the primary.
However, reacting, the National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi maintained that as far as the NWC is concerned, the date for the primary remains Friday.
“We have not considered the appeals from the aspirants yet,” the party’s spokesman declared.
On whether the aspirants would possibly adopt a consensus candidate for the primary Olowo said “there is no consensus. We are all going for primary”.
Majority of the 33 aspirants contesting the primary were present at the meeting with the National Working Committee, but Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Kayode Fayemi was visibly absent.
Some of those who attended the meeting which was presided over by the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun include National Vice Chairman, South West, Pius Akinyelure, and National Vice Chairman, South East, Emma Enukwu and other members of the NWC.
Some of the aspirants present include Babafemi Ojudu, Segun Oni, Opeyemi Bamidele, Senator Gbenga Aluko, Femi Bamisile, Dr.Wole Oluyede, Bamidele Faparusi, Bimbo Daramola, Senator Ayo Arise, Dr. Wole Oluleye and Dr. Adebayo Orire.
Others are Mr. Kola Alabi, Mr. Kayode Ojo, Mr. Muyiwa Olumilua, Mr. Victor Kolade, Mr. Debo Ajayi, Chief Dele Okeya, Chief Diran Adesua, Chief Sesan Fatoba, Dr. Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, Mr. Olumuyiwa Coker and Deacon Adekunle Esan.
Meanwhile, South West leaders of the party endorsed the decision of the NWC to conduct a fresh governorship primary tomorrow.
The party’s South West leadership met on Tuesday May 8 and yesterday in Abuja with the aspirants who participated in the primary to review the circumstances that led to the disruption of the election. The leaders who were at the meeting held at the Lagos State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja were Chief Bisi Akande, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Niyi Adebayo and Chief Pius Akinyelure.
Among other issues, the question of how to conduct a free, credible and transparent primary election was discussed at the meeting.
After a subsequent meeting of the leaders with the national chairman of the party, with the Ekiti State Chairman of the party, Chief Jide Awe, and two representatives of the aspirants, Segun Oni and Opeyemi Bamidele, in attendance, it was decided that given the extent of planning and logistics involved and the closeness of the deadline for the conduct of primaries by all political parties in Ekiti State as well as submission of names of candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it would be better to go by the decision of the NWC of the party to conduct a fresh indirect primary tomorrow.