Ondo west APC congress a sham, must be cancelled, says ex-gov aspirant

FORMER Ondo State governorship aspirant, Engineer Akinyinka Akinola, on Sunday called for the cancellation of the All Progressive Congress (APC) state congress in Ondo West, saying that the exercise was marred by fraudulent practices.

Akinola, in a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune, said there was no congress in the local government, alleging that some officials close to the leadership in the state manipulated the process to achieve predetermined results.

According to Akinola, due to the alleged manipulation, other stakeholders were unfairly shut out of the exercise, recalling that he was told he would have no part in the Congress for not being a recognised leader, at a meeting of the Ondo West APC leaders held on 4th May 2018 in Akure where he was present together with the representative of other leaders, and where a sharing formula was arrived at.

“I was told I was to have no part in the Congress as I was not a recognised leader in my own local government where I have the greatest influence and recognition by the party members there as a leader. I am (also) the largest contributor to all its activities apart from being a former gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the APC. This is laughable.

“This of course was roundly and totally rejected by me as unconstitutional and illegal. Regardless, on Friday 5th of May, instead of holding congresses, names were written in secret locations without the presence of INEC and security officials and forwarded for ratification. The Ondo West caretaker committee chairman Ebenezer Akinsulire openly boasted to party members that the list was from the governor and must be accepted. We have video footage and photographs of this and other charades that took place in all the 12 wards of Ondo West Local Government.

“Forms were hoarded and never distributed. Thousands of people have been disenfranchised by this illegality. We call for the cancellation of the entire exercise as it is undemocratic and unlawful,” the former governorship aspirant demanded.