As the July 2 and 25 date set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for primaries to hold for the gubernatorial elections in Ondo State coming up later in the year moves nearer, the All Progressive Congress (APC) Unity Forum in the state is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that only one candidate is presented to participate in the primary election on the platform of the forum.
And to ensure this is a reality and the exercise runs seamlessly, the forum set up a Special Purpose Committee. And at the last meeting of the group, eight aspirants have shown interest in the governorship race from the forum.
The aspiring members are Olusola Oke, Chief Bukola Adetula, Ife Oyedele, Olusegun Abraham, Akin Awodeyi, Olaide Adelami, Kazeem Olanrewaju and Jimmy Odimayo.
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Three of the eight aspirants are from the South Senatorial district; five are from the North Senatorial district while the central is not represented at all. Three out of the five from the North Senatorial District are from Owo, the same town as the incumbent
At a meeting presided over by the leader of the group, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, the eight aspirants who were personally present agreed to pick one of them as the consensus candidate of the group while others rally support for him.
Olanusi promised a level playing ground for all the aspirants while reiterating that other splinter groups joining forces with the forum will not be sidelined.
However, there are a handful of other aspirants who do not belong to the unity forum aside the incumbent Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who at present seems to be a lone ranger, the former Chairman of the party Isaac Kekemeke and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Togo, Olusola Iji are also in the race.
According to political pundits and analysts, it is speculated that whoever emerges as the candidate of the Unity Forum may likely end up as the candidate of the party at the primaries because of the percentage of the party leaders and members that belong to the Unity Forum and those already fraternising with the forum.
Again, the fact that the party recently announced that all primaries would make use of the direct primary option has made the task more difficult for some.
It is expected that the Unity Forum will throw up her candidate before the end of March, with the hope that one of the eight aspirants will emerge as the symbol of the group at the primary election.
and then