The immediate Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Hon Isaacs Kekemeke, has expressed optimism that the party remained a party to beat in any election, despite the crisis rocking the state chapter of the party.
Kekemeke stated this while speaking with newsmen in Akure, Ondo State capital, however, stressed the need for the State Executive Council of the party to reconcile all factions ahead of the October 10, 2020 governorship election in the state.
According to him, many of the members of the party had been sidelined and excluded from the party activities by the present executives of the party, while he called for a true reconciliation ahead of the next governorship election.
He, however, maintained that the division would not lead to defeat for the party in the next election, and said, “I believe APC is strong enough to win any election in this state, particularly I am so sure we will win the next governorship election this October.”
The problem we have is that there are so many silent members, who are inactive and largely excluded.
“And that is the reason we have been advocating that members should shoot their shots and let all of us belong to this house that is APC. We used to be one in 2014 and 2016 when I provided leadership.
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“This is also a challenge to the party’s leadership in the state, they have to be broad-minded and large-minded and try to put everyone together irrespective of whatever personal tendency or group that they belong.”
He alleged the APC leadership under Engr Ade Adetimehin and Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, of not being magnanimous in victory and laid the blame for the lingering crisis in the party at their doorsteps.
“I have raised it many times in the Advisory Council; I think and believe that the chairman of the party listens to that counsel. What we will continue is to drum it into everybody’s ears that APC is still the party then we have many excluded, silent and inactive members.
“I know that when the primaries get close and activities hot up, many party members will be mobilised. This state remains an APC state and we have problems with the leadership style, keeping in charge of the party, that notwithstanding, APC still remains stronger.”
Kekemeke, an aspirant of the party for the governorship election, dispelled the misgivings by the people that the ruling party may influence the primary by manipulating the party’s register, noting that he superintended the first and second party registration.
He said the “first set of registration, I was involved in it while I was the overseer of the second registration. We have captured the entire register in the APC data base.
“I am aware that they said there are many other registrations, but I am hopeful that the national leadership in its roadmap will arrange registration and harmonisation of the registers of members of our party.
“People join our party daily and we expect that they will be captured by the new registration which they will eventually harmonise. There is no fear even since I also know that it is the national leadership of our party that will organise the direct primary for us.”
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