Some aspirants in the upcoming local government elections in Ekiti State have written to the State Governor, Mr Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, requesting his intervention to ensure free and fair primaries in the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the polls.
The APC aspirants, who wrote through their counsel, expressed concern that the chairman of Ekiti South East Local Council Development Area was reportedly boasting that the governor had endorsed her for continuity, despite the belief by their clients and other stakeholders that the governor does not support imposition.
The aspirants, Agboola Oluwafemi, Omojola Oluwagbohunmi, Oladipo Babalola Peter, Ogundana Sikiru Sunday, and Oyewole Stella Omolade, conveyed their concerns through their counsel, Adedayo Adewumi.
The five aspirants are vying for the chairmanship of the Ekiti South East Local Council Development Area (LCDA) on the platform of the APC.
The aspirants emphasised their allegiance to the party and advised that a free and fair primary election would further strengthen the APC in the state and give it leverage in the main election.
They pointed out that their LCDA is unique because it comprises many communities, and no community should be unfairly treated as they all have equal rights to the chairmanship. They emphasised that no individual should see the office as a birthright.
According to their counsel, “the APC lost the last House of Assembly election to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) due to imposition, and such a situation should not be allowed to recur in the party in Ekiti State.
“Our clients wholeheartedly appreciate your Excellency for taking time out of your tight schedule to go through the contents of this letter, and they humbly request that you accede to their request,” the letter read in part.
The aspirants, in explaining their opposition to imposition, referred to past experiences. Oladipo Babalola Peter, from Ward 11, and Ikun Oba Ekiti, who was a councillor, alleged that the incumbent LCDA boss was acting as the sole candidate, whereas there were six aspirants in the race.
Also speaking, Oyewole Stella Omolade, also an aspirant from Ward 4, said rumours of imposition should not be entertained because there are many communities in the LCDA, and the chairmanship position should rotate fairly among them.
“Ogundana Sikiru Sunday from Ward 2, who was the chairman of Ekiti East Local Government, appealed to APC leaders to look into the matter, pointing out that if a consensus candidate cannot be agreed upon, a primary election should be conducted among the six contestants.
Agboola Emmanuel Oluwafemi, a former supervisor from Ward 10, stated that following the alleged claim by the incumbent LCDA chairperson that she had been adopted as the sole candidate, they wrote a letter to the governor and party leaders, but to date, there has been no response to that letter.
Omojola Oluwagbohunmi from Ward 11, who was a council assistant to Governor Kayode Fayemi, said it was undemocratic to impose a candidate in any election and expressed the belief that Governor Oyebanji would do no such thing.
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