Again, Ekiti APC aspirants protest indirect primaries

FOR the second day running, some aspirants vying for National Assembly positions under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, on Tuesday, protested the decision of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party to use indirect method to conduct their primaries, against the directive of the National Working Committee.

This was as an APC chieftain and senatorial aspirant for Ekiti North District, Senator Ayo Arise, on Tuesday withdrew from the senatorial contest over the indirect mode of primary election adopted by the party in the state.

Arise, a former National Assembly member, who said it was practically impossible to mobilise delegates for the shadow election in less than 24 hours, having prepared for direct primaries for over two months, kicked against indirect primaries election format, saying it would not produce a true reflection of the people’s wish.

The aspirants and their supporters, who besieged the state secretariat of the party around 10.25 am, accused the Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Niyi Adebayo, and governor-elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi of trying to scheme them out of the contest to pave way for their cronies.

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The contestants, who are vying for Senate and House of Representatives seats across the state, called on the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to overrule the SWC on its decision to apply the indirect method for their primaries.

Addressing journalists at his Oye Ekiti hometown, Arise, who was seeking ticket for Ekiti North Senatorial District, reiterated the fact that he was not desperate for office, saying: “I believe sincerely that as Democrats, we should continue to develop the system. We should not take steps that are retrogressive. Let us take steps that will deepen democracy.

“We have said that the delegates’ mode doesn’t produce popular candidates. Delegates’ mode doesn’t reflect the popular wish of the people.”

Arise, however, said he would continue to work with other leaders of the party in the state to ensure the success of the party in 2019 elections and the reelection of President Muhammad Buhari in the presidential election.

Speaking at the protest in Ado Ekiti, the aggrieved aspirants alleged that members of the State Working Committee, led by Mr Paul Omotosho, was trying to subvert the process to give way for automatic tickets to Fayemi’s close allies.

The glass windows of the Secretariat located in Ajilosun area of Ado Ekiti were smashed as the protesters forced their way into the building to send a signal that they were prepared to take on the governor.

The aggrieved aspirants, include Messrs. Bimbo Daramola, Kayode Babade, Yemi Olayinka, Ayo Oshinkolu and Mrs Olutoyin Ajakaiye.

Daramola, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues accused the state executives of doing the bidding of the Governor-elect, to edge them out of the primary under the flimsy excuse of indirect primaries, contrary to the decision of the national secretariat.

Daramola said it was wrong for the state executives to have allowed an individual to teleguide them to have his way and ensured that he imposed his candidates on the party.

He said: “It was bad for the APC that just won the governorship election to be behaving in this manner. We were supposed to be given the opportunity to test our popularity in the primaries, rather than resorting to imposition.

“The Deputy National Chairman, South, Governor-elect and other leaders of our party told us at Iyin-Ekiti, resident of Chief Niyi Adebayo that direct primaries will be used to pick the candidates.

“It was however unfortunate to receive a message on Sunday night that the earlier assurance at the meeting held with all aspirants had changed to indirect primaries.

“We have all been working on the agreement of direct primaries, it, therefore, became difficult to identify the so-called delegates because we don’t have access to the list,” he said.