Direct primaries: Crisis looms in Ondo APC

A fresh crisis is looming in the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the directive by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party that direct primaries should be used in electing all its candidate for the next year general election.

Signs of impending chaos emerged on Monday as a faction of the party, the Unity Group, said during a press Conference alleged the state governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, of being at the forefront of campaign against direct primaries adopted by the party leadership.

Speaking during the conference, the factional Chairman of the APC in the state, Mr. Idowu Otetubi, said the governor and his group are afraid of defeat in the primary election, saying the group would do everything to resist imposition of unpopular candidates on us for the 2019 election.

Otetubi said “We are not unaware of the unpatriotic stand of some of our governors especially the Governor of Ondo State who has been in the forefront of kicking against the most democratic system of nomination candidate.

“We are not surprised at the stand of Governor Akeredolu and his handpicked executives. We know that they are afraid and have phobia for contest.

“All they want is to be handpicked as candidates of the party which shall be counter-productive.

“We wish to warn ahead of time that our group which is over 75 per cent of APC in Ondo State will do everything to resist imposition of unpopular candidates on us for the 2019 election.”

But the Chairman of the party in the state, Mr. Ade Adetimehin, described those behind the group as faceless and not known to the party.

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He called on all aggrieved members of the party not to hesitate to table their grievances before the party, maintaining that there was no fraction in the party in the state.

He said “as far as I am concern, I am the Chairman of APC in the state and there is no faction in Ondo APC, we are one big family and if there is any aggrieved member, they should not hesitate to table their grievances. We are ready to accommodate all members.”

Speaking on the mode of primaries for the party in the state, Adetimehin said, “we abide by the decision of the NEC on primaries, that Presidential should be direct primary while other primaries should be indirect.”

He said the party would not be intimidated by the adoption of any lawful option for election primaries but said the party opted for the delegate option “because as at today it would create fewer problems for the State than the direct option.

“The thinking of the chapter is to embrace a lawful option that would unite the party ahead of the main elections, rather than plunge it into avoidable crisis.

However, the group maintained that members of the group were purposely shut out during the Congress of the party in the state and were denied access to party forms to participate in the Congresses.

He said “our group the Unity Group within APC held parallel congresses from Ward to State level in all the 203 wards and 18 Local Governments of Ondo State and produce our Executives despite persecution, intimidation and maiming of our members

“After the Congress, we submitted the result to the National level of the Party and we copied Independent National Electoral Commission but unfortunately, our former National Chairman did not allow our list to see the light of the day because of his unholy alliance with the government of Ondo State under Governor Akeredolu.”

The factional group, however, commended the national leadership of the party over its decision to adopt direct primaries for the nomination of candidates at all levels to nominate candidates for the 2019 general election.

Speaking on the forthcoming local government election in the state, Otetubi said the Adetimehin led executive in the state was not competent to submit list of candidates of the party to Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC)

He said the factional group had approached the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to challenge the legality of the Adetimehin led executive to submit the list of candidates for the local government election.

He said “the Adetimehin led Executive do not have the locus standi to submit the list. We have equally filed another action against ODIEC to restrain it from collecting list from Adetimehin and his Executive.”

The State Publicity Secretary of the party, Alex Kalejaye, while speaking on the local government election, said the inauguration of the current State Executive Committee of the party complied with relevant procedures laid down by the party constitution.

“It is comical for those that failed to complete the minimal requirements for participation in the Congress to continue to raise the feeble alarm.

“I am not aware of any injunction from a competent court of law that restrains us from handling the affairs of the party in the state, including election matters”