THE National leadership of All Progressives Congress (APC) has waded into the crisis rocking the Ondo State chapter of the party over who is the authentic state chairman of the party in the state.
The delegation of the National secretariat however met with the embattled Chairman of the party in the state, Hon Isaacs Kekemeke and the Acting Chairman, Mr Adeusi Adetimehin, the APC Elders’ Committee led by Senator Olorunnimbe Farukanmi and the state governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN.
The delegation led by former National Vice Chairman, Southwest Alhaji Tajudeen Olusi while others included National Financial Secretary, Tajudeen Bello, Ekiti State Chairman, Chief Jide Awe and the Administrative Secretary of the party in the Southwest, Mr Ayo Afolabi.
Leadership crisis had erupted in the party immediately after the inauguration of Akeredolu as the governor of the state, while a faction is loyal to Kekemeke, another was loyal to Team Aketi led by Adetimehin.
The dispute got to its head when a Committee set up to look into the financial activities of Kekemeke led executive suspended him from office and recommended his resignation from office.
But Kekemeke maintained that only the National Executive Committee of the party, the Zonal or National executive of the party can remove him from office.
Kekemeke had vacated the State Secretariat of the party since the crisis erupted and shunned all government functions, but he has been attending the meeting with other 35 state chairmen of the party.
During a meeting with the National delegates, faction loyal to Kekemeke, accused the Akeredolu’s group of trying to hijack the party for selfish reasons.
The Ondo Central Senatorial Chairman, Mr Gboyega Adedipe said the crisis started with the statement credited to Governor Akeredolu during the handover ceremony where he said only two persons; the outgoing governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko and Kekemeke that have experience in governance having served in all capacities in the state.
Another reason for the dispute Adedipe said was the appointment of functionaries of the government saying Team Aketi did not want to allow the party to determine appointees of the government.
Adedipe said it was the people who were intimidated by the profile of Kekemeke that caused the dispute between the party chairman and the governor. He said the people accused the party chairman of working for the Alliance for Democracy (AD) governorship candidate, Chief Olusola Oke during the last governorship election.
On the allegation that Kekemeke did not attend state functions, Adedipe said the party executive was present when Akeredolu collected his Certificate of Return from Independent National Electoral Commission, during the handover ceremony and during the inauguration ceremony.
He added that the crisis rocking the party would be resolved once the governor finished with appointment into offices.