The National Chairman, of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun PHOTO: PHILIP OJISUA
• ‘Buhari’s endorsement of Oshiomhole not foreclosure of chairman’s reelection bid’From Ayodele Afolabi
(Ado-Ekiti) and Adamu Abuh (Abuja)
The Concerned APC Patriots, a group within the Ekiti State All Progressives Congress (APC), has urged the National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun and Chairman, Screening Committee, Timipre Sylva not to impose any candidate on the party.It vowed to challenge former governor Kayode Fayemi’s eligibility in court, if he were cleared to contest the May 5, 2018 governorship primary in spite of the white paper indicting him.
The group cautioned that it would not mind seeing APC approach the July 14 governorship contest without a valid candidate for the election, saying this would be the party’s reward for impunity.
Speaking through its Coordinator, Dr. Ife Olu-Olubusuyi in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, it noted: “We are concerned and advise that the APC leadership must adhere strictly to its own rules and disqualify whoever has not met the minimum conditions for governorship as indicated by the constitution and guidelines.”
The Concerned Patriots, however, urged the Odigie-Oyegun-led National Working Committee to discountenance the allegation that Kayode had bought them over.“The Minister and his handlers have been bragging around that he would be given a clean bill of health to contest. He even boasted that he would be given the ticket on the premise that Odigie-Oyegun and his members have his backing,” he added.
It stated that Fayemi was not the only alternative to APC at this time it is grappling to reclaim Ekiti from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), adding: “There are other more popular and credible aspirants with better acceptability in the party.In a related development, Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu, has said the President would not use federal might to win the July 14 Ekiti governorship election.
Ojudu, a governorship hopeful, said the party was relying on the people’s might to win the election and rescue the state from the Ayodele Fayose ‘non-performing government’.Speaking in Ado Ekiti after touring the 177 wards to campaign for the May 5 primary, Ojudu described President Buhari as a thoroughbred democrat, who will not subvert the people’s wish to satisfy anybody in the APC.
He added that he remained the best candidate to confront the PDP in the July 14 governorship election, advising the delegates to make appropriate choice in the primary.
Meanwhile, APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi and Kano State governor, Umar Abdullahi Ganduje yesterday said President Buhari’s endorsement of former Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomole as the next national chairman of the party was not yet settled.
They hinted that Odigie-Oyegun would soon make his position known as to whether he would seek re-election at the party’s national convention, noting, however, that there was nothing wrong in President Buhari expressing his preference for Oshiomhole.
Abdullahi stated that the time table for the ward, local councils and states congresses may be altered to make it convenient for delegates, adding that it was left for the 24 governors of the party to accept or reject President Buhari’s position on the matter.
