Politics
APC Leaders In Ondo Allege Plans To Disrupt Primary Election
Ahead of the primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC), some leaders of the party in the state, said they have uncovered plans by some elements within the party to disrupt the shadow election of APC slated for April 20.
The leaders, led by Adewale Ibraheem, who raised the alarm, also expressed apprehension that the APC governorship primary scheduled to pick its candidate may be threatened and eventually aborted by thugs recruited by some elements.
According to the leaders, who disclosed that about 50 thugs have been recruited and deployed to each local government areas in the statel to scuttle the primary election.
Ibraheem specifically alleged the Red Beret supporters, who are the foot soldiers of governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, of planning to disrupt the APC primary election.
He said “It has come to our notice through a credible source in the camp of Aiyedatiwa Supporters that plans have been perfected by Aiyedatiwa’s political foot soldiers to scuttle the APC primary, baring any last minute counter moves.
“A meeting was held in Akure, and it was coordinated by a senior cabinet member in Akure. At the meeting, it was approved that anywhere in all the 18 local government areas of the state where the incumbent is unpopular and may lose election, the election in such place must be disrupted and the election must never be allowed to stand.
“Fund shall be provided to recruit 50 thugs in each of the 18 local governments, to forment trouble on 20th April 2024, and discredit the APC primary.”
“It is evident that Aiyedatiwa is losing out, and he wants to drag everybody down, including the APC in Ondo State.”
“His support base is weak, and the strategists to his aspiration are of the opinion that the power of incumbency be used to waste the fortunes of the APC in Ondo State,”
But in his reaction, the State Director of Information, Lucky Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organization-FSIC, Kayode Fasua, lambasted the group for sponsoring falsehood against Aiyedatiwa, saying it’s an attempt to give the governor a bad name so as to hang him.
Fasua who described the allegation as baseless and false, admitted that the group held a meeting but said “the meeting under reference was an Akure meeting held by APC members in the locality, to appraise the performance of the campaign efforts within the local government, thence far. Nothing more”
He however, stated that “desperadoes within the APC should readdress themselves and give vent to party rules and regulations, by stopping mudslinging Mr. Governor in the belief that he is a simple man, and can’t do anything.
“Party members bandying this cooked-up story are the enemies of the party. The death of former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) in December last year unsettled everyone.
“Yes, Aiyedatiwa is contesting the party’s next governorship ticket, but the enormous task before him does not give room for the conjecture of raising thugs or anything of the stuff. He is a busy man; one who closes work at 1:am and resumes 8:am”
It will be recalled that the national leadership of the APC has decided to conduct direct primary to elect the flag bearer of the party in the November gubernatorial election.
No fewer than 16 aspirants of the party, including the incumbent governor, Lucky, Aiyedatiwa, Wale Akinterinwa, Jimoh Ibrahim, Olusola Oke, and Isaac Kekemeike, have obtained the expression of interest and nomination forms, and they are to be screened soon.
The incumbent governor, who had wanted the procedural right of first refusal to be applied in his favour, will have to contend with 15 others for the APC ticket
As the clock clicks towards the deal-day, opinions are rife that Aiyedatiwa’s getting the ticket is as difficult as the horse passing through the eye of a needle, because of the issues relating to his WAEC certificate and relationship with his formal boss, Akeredolu.
It will also be recalled that the red cap beret adopted by Aiyedatiwa’s supporters was earlier described by concerned members of the APC as an insignia of a confrontational movement.
There have also been accusations of alleged sponsored attacks on people supporting other aspirants and their billboards by thugs loyal to Aiyedatiwa.
A former governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State, Valentine Ozigbo, said he did not regret his decision to dump the Labour Party (LP) for the APC.
Ozigbo, who defected to the APC ahead of the party’s governorship primaries, lost the ticket to Nicholas Ukachukwu. He said he dumped the LP because he was not comfortable with what was going on in the party.
Speaking on Arise Television’s ‘The Morning Show’ on Friday, the former LP chieftain justified his defection to the ruling party, saying he explored all options, but his concerns were not addressed.
Asked if he regrets dumping the LP, Ozigbo said, “I have no regrets whatsoever.”
On the gale of defection that hit the Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State, the governorship aspirant said different politicians have different reasons for defecting to another party.
“Some of them are genuine considerations, either because of lack of internal party mechanism to resolve issues fairly and equitably, that can actually push somebody out, and then some others may find other reasons. Some noble, some not so noble,” he stated.
According to Ozigbo, he decided to join the ruling APC because the main opposition parties were dysfunctional.
“I put all the parties on the table, and I did my introspection. I prayed about it, I engaged as much as I could. And for me, there are only two options we have in this country today, either be in the mainstream party and see how you can orchestrate the change that you’re looking for, or be part of opposition. I see a very dysfunctional position,” he said.
He maintained that his reason for joining the APC was noble, adding that his defection to the party was predicated on his mission to connect Anambra to the center.’
“I am here for noble reasons. I’m here because I prioritize Anambra people first. I’m here because I also prioritize God, and I felt that there’s one party that can enable us not just get the victory, protect the mandate, connect Anambra to the center and eventually achieve better dividends of democracy, and ultimately, I have a better country,” Ozigbo said.
The Labour Party on Thursday reaffirmed Barrister Julius Abure’s leadership as National Chairman following a Supreme Court judgement on April 4.
National Chairman Abure and National Secretary Alh. Umar Farouk Ibrahim, addressing reporters in Abuja, said the court upheld the party’s National Convention held on March 27 in Nnewi, Anambra State, which elected the current National Working Committee (NWC).
The Supreme Court stated that political parties must adhere to their constitutions and that leadership disputes are internal matters, not subject to judicial interference. “Political parties must learn to adhere to their constitution and guidelines in the conduct of their domestic affairs,” the court ruled, affirming that party members are bound by decisions of organs like the NWC, National Executive Committee (NEC), and National Convention.
Abure and Ibrahim urged Abia State Governor Alex Otti and former presidential candidate Peter Obi to respect the ruling and cease actions causing internal divisions. They noted that the court did not overturn CA/ABJ/1172/2024, which recognised Abure as National Chairman, and confirmed the party’s compliance with electoral laws and INEC regulations for the 2024 convention.
The party dismissed claims of a caretaker committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, stating no valid NEC meeting or stakeholder gathering occurred on 4 September 2024 in Abia State. It declared that no leadership vacuum exists and urged members to align with the NWC as affirmed by the Supreme Court.
The announcement follows weeks of factional disputes, with Abure’s group maintaining the party’s Abuja secretariat while the Usman-led caretaker committee awaits INEC’s interpretation of the judgement.
Delta state Commissioner of Information, Charles Aniagwu, said that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders in Delta joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) to protect the state’s interest.
Addressing journalists at Government House, Asaba, Aniagwu, said the move was aimed at preserving unity, deepening development, and safeguarding the wellbeing of Deltans.
His words: “The decision was taken to build the bond of love that have existed in our state, to further advance the cause of security and welfare of our people and to a very large extent ensure that development in Delta, because every politics is local, is not truncated.
“And in taking that decision we came to the inevitable conclusion that moving out of the PDP is very very necessary for us to be able to collaborate with our kith and kin and build that state that every Deltan will be proud of.
The commissioner likened the current state of the PDP to palm wine that has lost its taste.
He said: “We believe that what is happening and the state of the PDP is akin to that palm wine whose taste has changed and there was a need for us to change the drinking pattern.
“And that is why this decision has been taken unanimously by leaders and stakeholders of the party.
“By the grace of God, Monday next week, we will be able to make a very big statement after the fact that we are moving into the APC.”
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