The lawmaker representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Opeyemi Bamidele (MOB), former minister of Works, Dayo Adeyeye and five governorship aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have withdrawn from the party’s primary election in Ekiti state.
The aspirants — Kayode Mojo, Demola Popoola, Femi Bamisile, Bamidele Faparusi, Dayo Adeyeye, Opeyemi Bamidele and Afolabi Oluwasola — alleged that the primary election committee is made up of loyalists of Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti governor.
They alleged that Fayemi is making an attempt to foist Biodun Oyebanji, a governorship aspirant, as the party’s governorship standard-bearer in the state.
In a statement on Thursday, the aspirants said there is no way the exercise will be fair with the calibre of people sitting on the primary election committees.
“The seven aspirants herein received with rude shock and dismay the purported list of the local government election committee and ward election committee made up solely by party members and political appointees that had before now openly endorsed the candidacy of Biodun Oyebanji the immediate past secretary to the state government,” they said.
“It is on record that the government of Governor Kayode Fayemi has given its unwavering support to the candidacy of Biodun Oyebanji, it is common knowledge that the Governor and most appointees of the governor are openly rooting for and supporting Biodun Oyebanji’s aspiration to become the flag bearer of our great party.
“What is more disturbing is the fact that a simple glance at the names of the persons appointed as members of both committees would reveal that it is made up of appointees of government who are all supporters of a candidate in the primary election they are appointed to superintend on.”
Nigeria News: Ex-governor Segun Oni loses out as Bisi Kolawole wins Ekiti PDP Guber primary
The aspirants asked the party to reconstitute the primary election committees across the state.
“The seven candidates herein are loyal, faithful and committed party members who are sincerely concerned about the chances of the party in the forthcoming 2022 governorship election where an imposition is allowed to override a Democratic primary election for determining its flag bearer,” they said.
“We request that both the local government election committee and ward election committee that was constituted on the list already in circulation be disbanded and replaced with names that would reinforce internal democracy and uphold the aims and objectives of the party.”
Meanwhile, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state protested against the process of the governorship primary election.
The election is scheduled to take place on Thursday.
The members who gathered at the party secretariat are accusing the APC-led state government of not being fair with the process.
Although accreditation has started across a few wards, party members protesting at the secretariat say they will not be a part of the election.
“No election! No primary election in Ekiti,” the party members chanted.
