APC Primaries: I’m still in the race —Olabimtan

Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly and an aspirant of the All  Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming governorship election in the state, Hon. Victor Olabimtan has dissociated himself from what he called  ‘any sectional arrangement in picking the flag bearer for APC’.

Olabimtan who stated in a press statement personally signed by him disclosed that he has not backed out from the governorship race on the platform of APC, describing the sectional arrangement as dead even before arrival, adding  “as such, I hereby dissociate myself from the sectional arrangement which died before it was born”.

The former speaker said he was not opposed to any consensus but said the process must be an all inclusive one and thorough saying any arrangement that will pitch the people of Akoko land against each other should be avoided.

He said though the people of the zone were clamoring for the  governorship slot  in the state, the agitation must not be unhealthy.

He specifically said the leaders of the APC from the area have not endorsed any aspirant from the area ahead of the party’s primary in August and frowned over a publication from a national newspaper.

The former Speaker said “I am not opposed to consensus but such process must be thorough and all inclusive. Any arrangement that will pitch us against ourselves and further divide Akokoland will not augur well for us and APC as a whole.

“What was published does not have the imput and blessing of the  APC leaders from Akoko North and the generality of Akoko sons and daughters who fervently pray and believe that the next Governor of Ondo State should be an Akoko indigene.

“I thank those who have shown genuine concern over this development  and I assure you all that l am still very much in the race and by the grace of God and with your unflinching support, I am sure that victory will be ours.

‘’I want to thank all my supporters home and abroad who have bombarded me with calls in the last few days to confirm if I am still in the race or not because of the purported arrangement that was published in a national newspaper’’, he added.