The immediate former chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State and a governorship aspirant of the party, Hon Isaac Kekemeke, has appealed to leaders of the party in the state against making inflammatory statement that can incite members against the leadership of the party in the state and at the National.
Kekemeke who stated this on Sunday while speaking with newsmen in Akure, Ondo State capital, noted that the party can only move forward if all the warring factions within the party come together ahead of the next governorship election in the state.
He alleged those fuelling crisis in the party in the state of embarking on a selfish mission using the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, to promote disunity in the state chapter of the party.
Kekemeke who also expressed his interest to contest the forthcoming governorship election in the state emphasised the need for the party to speak with one voice ahead of the October 10, election.
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He said: “I am appealing to leaders not to make statement that will incite party members against the leadership of the party in the state and at the National.
“If we love this party, everything that we do in our actions and inactions must be about putting this party together as one family, so that it can continue to be a credible platform for electoral success.
“Those who promote disunity in this party don’t love the party, the difference is normal and part of the political process but to pull down the house and cause it to collapse is unpatriotic.
Kekemeke, however, noted the inability of the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, to run an all-inclusive party and government as one of the factors responsible for the crisis in the Ondo APC but distanced himself from any group against the party.
“I have always said that there is no crisis in the Ondo APC but what we have are various interest groups within the party pursuing interest which is legitimate.
“I don’t belong to any forum, the only unity forum that is authentic is the Advisory Council of the APC, put together to unify all tendencies in the party.
“I don’t belong to any group that is anti -Akeredolu or pro- Akeredolu but I lead a movement that wants to change the future of people of this state.
“There is nothing like unity group and any forum called unity forum should be pursuing unity and not disunity.
“So the only unity forum is the APC Advisory Council that keeps working hard to see that every APC members see the unity of the party as the most important thing to do.”
He recalled that the national leaders of the party that visited the state last year called for peace within the party in order to remain a party to beat in any election.
He, however, expressed dissatisfaction towards the actions of some leaders and said “they are afraid of bringing the party together because they are mere attention seekers.
“We all agreed including, Governor Akeredolu, Alhaji Olanusi, Chief Olusola Oke, Segun Abraham and others that we should find a way of dealing with the present structure of the party because they do not represent the best for us and we set up a committee.
“That committee is yet to submit its report and people started saying something else. You don’t look for attention and popularity at the expense of your party. This is because they did not understand what went into building the party to become what it is today.
“We will welcome the National Reconciliatory Committee and the Advisory Council will work with the committee to bring about the lasting peace into Ondo APC.”
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