Ekiti APC Primary was free, fair, says Jigawa gov

Jigawa State Governor and Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Primary Committee in Ekiti State, Mohammed Abubakar Badaru has said the process that produced Biodun Oyebanji as the party candidate for the governorship election was free, fair and transparent.

Governor Badaru made the declaration on Friday while submitting the report of his committee at the party national secretariat. The report was received by the APC Director of Organisation, Professor Usujji Madnaer.

Governor Badaru’s claim was on the heels of a move by the aggrieved aspirants to file a petition against the outcome of the election.

Governor Badaru had declared Oyebanji who polled a total of 101,703 votes as the winner.

The seven aspirants who claimed to have boycotted the election where Oyebanji was declared standard-bearer included, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, Senator Dayo Adeyeye, Hon Bamidele Faparusi, Demola Popoola, Afolabi Oluwasola, Hon Femi Bamisile and Kayode Ojo.

But addressing newsmen, Governor Badaru maintained that the seven aspirants actually participated in the election while their grievances were looked into prior to the commencement of the election.

He said: “We have submitted the results sheets and reports where they were conducted in 166 wards. 11 wards were disrupted and we cancelled those areas but in 166, people actively participated. “And I think you all have the videos of what transpired in all the 166 wards except the 11. Even the 11 that had a crisis, I am sure you have seen the videos.”

“He denied the claim by the aggrieved aspirants that they boycotted the election.

“That is absolutely not true. We landed on the 26th. I had meetings with all the aspirants and 7 attended out of 8. And we discussed the guidelines and we agreed on all the terms. What they are alleging probably, party members loyal to the governor were chosen to serve as returning officers in various wards and local governments. And they raised that at the meeting. And I asked them, the guidelines is to use the party people to do the job. We cannot hire or take people that are not from the party. But they can also give us 20 each from the party people that they believed will do justice to them.

And they provided those 20 lists which we incorporated into returning officers. And this was communicated in the early morning to them because they sent their own list very late and that was what even delayed us that night. But we managed to incorporate all the 20 people each they sent to us to participate also in the exercise. But you can see from what happened that they are supposed to have agents in all the 177 wards. And these 11 wards that the primaries were disrupted were wards that had relationships with most of the aspirants. So, you can see if they have that power, to stop the congress, they could have done it also in the 166 wards.”

The Chairman of the Appeal Committee appealed to the seven aspirants to cooperate with the winner of the primary to ensure that the APC retain Ekiti State at the forthcoming election.

“What we expect them to do is to join hands with us so that we can continue to build the party and we continue to support the candidate that emerges. At the opening of my engagement with the aspirants, at the stakeholders meeting that we held in Ekiti State, I told them that power comes from God. And it is only God that will determine who will win. And if we take it in our hearts to be patient, God will certainly reward you.

“God knows who will be the next governor of Ekiti State even before we start this process. So, we should take heart to be responsible and respectful and stop casting aspersions or unnecessary allegations on people because destroying somebody doesn’t mean victory for you. It means you are also destroying yourself. Be fair to all.

“And be open to all and God will continue to help you. But if you chose to castigate and humiliate people, and cast insults on people, God is watching. You will certainly harvest what you have done because the truth will always come out. And we did this primary with utmost fear of God. And those that know me know I cannot write the result for anybody.”

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