Ondo 2020: APC group collapses structure for Kekemeke

The camp of one of the aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Hon. Isaacs Kekemeke, received a major boost on Tuesday as a political movement within the party, Liberal Movement, collapsed its structure to back the aspiration of Kekemeke in the primary election of the party.

Speaking during a press conference, the chairman of the group, Dr Ademola Ijabiyi, disclosed that the Liberal Movement decided to throw their weight behind Kekemeke candidacy after subjecting all the aspirants under its auspices to critical assessment through a comparative study with the other aspirants.

Ijabiyi said the choice of Kekemeke was informed by his political antecedents and experience in governance and in party politics in the past few decades in the state.

According to him, the group which comprises of personalities across political parties and professionals in and outside this state decided to support Kekemeke because the state needs a person who is experienced in governance and in party politics.

Ijabiyi said: “We need a government of our own, an APC government run by APC members to the benefit of our people, a government in which none of us will be alienated. To get such a government, we need a Kekemeke, a government guru who knows the value of party membership.

“We need a creative government and not a routine one. That is, a government that will go beyond routine activities to break new grounds through innovations and creativity.”

He explained that: “We took a critical look at Kekemeke’s blueprint and sat him down to brainstorm on it. At the end of the day, we have no doubt that a Kekemeke government will be the most creative and innovative government in the history of this state.

“We need an exposed state administrator at the executive level and not one who has never seen the inside of executive council chambers even at the LG level. We cannot afford to place a political and administrative greenhorn before the people of Ondo State as our candidate.

“We want a people’s government and not a personalized government. We want the government to run directly by Ondo State people and not indirectly by external proxies.

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“We need a homegrown governor, a governor who has grown up with us, lived among us, mixed with us and believed in us. Among the aspirants in our party, Kekemeke is it.

“We want a government free from scandals. Whether in the government or in the party, Kekemeke’ has never been associated with any scandal all his life. He is a man of great breeding, with the finer human qualities of character and integrity. To put it in short, he is above board.

“We want a person that comes from the right zone. Our state has a long tradition and understanding of geopolitical rotation. With Kekemeke from the Southern Senatorial District, this tradition would remain inviolate.

“We need a person that can win the next election for us. Our direct opponent is the PDP. To defeat the party, we must field our best man, a man that carries no public liabilities or controversies, a man that can attract the votes of the people, our most popular man. That man is Kekemeke.

“All his life, he has lived in Ondo State, he married in Ondo State, he has his business investments in Ondo State and he serves the God of Ondo State. He is, therefore, the most appropriate person for the job. He will understand us, our aspirations and our challenges.”

According to him, “Awolowo brought us the first television in Africa, the liberty stadium, the cocoa house, free education, and so on, Pa Ajasin brought us a bank an insurance company, the first state university, several industries and so on. Mimiko created mother and child hospital, established a medical village, built the MKO Democracy Park, and so on.

“These are examples of creative governance. We need a government that we won’t have to thank for paying salaries or for commissioning a kilometre of road.”

Kekemeke was a member of the House of Assembly, he was chairman of a major national parastatal, he was Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and then the commissioner for works, lands, housing and transport.