Allegation of delegates’ ‘kidnap’ rocks Ondo APC

•Abraham accuses other aspirants       •Allegation unfounded —Akeredolu, Boroffice, Oke

AS the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State prepares for its governorship primary election, an aspirant of the party, Dr Olusegun Abraham, on Saturday, raised the alarm over camping of delegates for the election in a secluded area by some aspirants.

Abraham, who made this allegation in Akure while featuring on a live programme of a private radio station in the state capital, alleged that some aspirants whom he said wanted to win the party’s ticket have camped the delegates in an area.

According to him, the action was taken out of desperation and fear of losing the primary of the party.

Abraham said  “These delegates who never knew the intention of the desperate aspirants, went for the meeting but only to be confined and never allowed to go home.”

Condemning a comment credited to one of the aspirant, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), against a national leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu, Abraham described the comment as unfortunate and an ungrateful act.

“The national leader was being accused of imposing me. I was not imposed. Endorsement is different from imposition. Those who regarded the two as the same do not what they were saying.

Reacting, Akeredolu, who described the allegation as time wasting, said apart from the financial implication, the party’s delegates are not jobless individuals who could be camped in an hotel or anywhere for a whole week because of party primary.

He, however, expressed optimism that he would win the ticket next Saturday, saying “they can take  all the delegates away from the state, but they know who to vote for.”

Similarly, a media aide to Senator Ajayi Boroffice, Kayode  Fakuyi, described the allegation as unfounded, adding that all the aspirants had worked on the delegates and there was therefore no need to kidnap them for any purpose.

He said Boroffice remained focussed and would not want any distraction or join issue with any of the aspirants.

Also speaking through Rotimi Ogunleye, his media aide, Chief Olusola Oke,  said the abduction of delegates was not  possible.

Ogunleye said “ I am not aware of this. But all I know is that every aspirant has his pocket of delegates that will vote for him during the primary election.”

Meanwhile, another governorship aspirant, Senator Omotayo Alasoadura, has appealed to members of the party against losing the chances to win the November 26 governorship election in the state.

Alasoadura, who is the lawmaker representing Ondo Central Senatorial District, said the people of the state had shown their desire to have an APC-led government in the state. having been disappointed by the current administration of Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

He, however, appealed to the delegates for the primary election to choose the best among those jostling for the party’s ticket, saying only a grassroots and popular candidate could win the state for the party.