Protest rocked some major towns in Ondo state on Thursday, as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state protested over the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) to disqualify senatorial aspirants of the party.
The protests which took place simultaneously in Akure, the state capital, Ore town for the southern district and Owo for the Northern senatorial districts.
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The protesters who took to the streets as early as 10am hindered vehicular movement in Akure, were also armed with placards of various inscriptions such as “Yes to Due Process in Ondo State”, Tinubu and Oshiomole leave us to decide for ourselves”, Oshio must Go”, “Oshio must resign”, “No to a dictator” “Aketi is different from Ambode” and” Aketi is our leader” among others.
Singing different abusive songs, the protesters demanded the resignation of Adams Oshiomole as the Chairman of the party, asking the party National Leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu not to interfere with the activities of tye party in the state.
The leader of the protest and the state APC Youth Leader, Mr Babalayo Oluleye, and the Vice Chairman (Ondo Central) of the party, Otunba Rasaq Isijola, said the protest became imperative to table their grievances against the decision of the NWC on the disqualification of the aspirants.
Speaking with journalists, Babaleye said the threat by the NWC to dissolve the State Executive Council of the party led by Ade Adetimehin would be resisted by the members of the party in the state.
Babalayo said: “we are saying no to imposition, we are saying no to the automatic ticket to any aspirant, there must be a room for everybody to contest. We don’t want criminality and impunity in our party, we ask for change and this is not the change we asked for.
“When Adams Oshiomhole took the leadership from Oyegun we taught everything will change for good but things as worse to the unbearable condition. Oshiomhole has not really helped us. If you go to the APC constitution, article 20 stated clearly that party primary must for direct, indirect and consensus, there is no room for an automatic ticket in our constitution and we want to know how the leadership came about the automatic ticket.
“What the youth of Ondo state are clamouring for now is that we don’t want any automatic ticket to any aspirant. The leadership should allow everybody to contest, Ondo state is not a place Oshiomhole can use as a testing ground. In view of this, we are saying no. Oshiomhole has betrayed us, the majority has said no to the minority because power belongs to everybody.
“We are coming to organise more rally against this across the state, we are also using this medium to send a signal to Senator Boroffice that if he cannot work together with those in the party, he should go to another party because political parties are many in Nigeria. The majority will not leave the party for minority, Boroffice belongs to the minority.
“We will not allow any party primary to take place if that is not reverse in Ondo state. We are passing a vote of no confidence on Oshiomhole. We are for Buhari not for Oshiomhole.”
Isijola who addressed the protesters also said the state chapter of the party agreed on an indirect mode of primary, but later succumbed to the decision of the NWC to adopt the direct primary method to select candidates. He said they were now surprised when the party now imposed candidates on the party.
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