•Says APC doesn’t need him to win Ondo election
Stories from Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
An aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Dr. Tunji Abayomi has faulted the national leader of the party, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his call for the resignation of the party’s national chairman, Chief John Oyegun.
Abayomi said Tinubu was wrong to have asked Oyegun to resign because the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party upheld the result of the Ondo State governorship primary election of the party held on September 3, 2016 in Akure.
Speaking with our correspondent in Akure yesterday, Abayomi who also lost out in the race for the party ticket alleged that the Electoral Appeal Committee caused confusion by recommending the conduct of a new primary election.
He said: “For calling for the resignation of the chairman, I think Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is very wrong because he is not a member of the National Working Committee and he cannot speak for the NWC.
‘’He didn’t participate in the entire process and whatever information he has must have been given to him by his agents.
“We heard that there was no voting among the NWC members before they took the decision over the matter contrary to the allegation in his letter to the chairman, and also the position of the party was that there was no voting.
‘’I expect Tinubu as a leader of the party to give credit to the vital opinions on the primary. I am personally disappointed that Asiwaju Tinubu would be determined in his action, that a primary that he promised would be free from undue influence, should be voided by all means. I think he was wrong”.
The APC chieftain declared that “with or without Tinubu’s support, the party would still win the forthcoming governorship election in the state, because it is the people of the state that would decide the election.”
He however maintained that the disagreement between Tinubu and Oyegun would not affect the stability of the party at the national level, submitting that the matter was an internal one which would soon be resolved by the national leadership of the party.
…As former Lagos gov’s loyalists move to AD
Political associates and loyalists of the former Lagos State governor and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Ondo State have moved to the Alliance for Democracy (AD).
This, Daily Sun gathered was the aftermath of the crisis rocking the APC in the state, a fall out of its controversial September 3 governorship primary election. One of the governorship aspirants, Chief Olusola Oke has been adopted as the gubernatorial candidate of the AD in the state.
It was learnt that Oke joined the AD on the directive of Tinubu, while arrangements are on top gear for two other gubernatorial aspirants of the APC to join the AD.
Daily Sun further gathered that Senator Ajayi Borrofice and Dr. Olusegun Abraham who also contested the APC primary election were at the verge of dumping the party for the AD.
Already, an associate of Tinubu and former Special Adviser to Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola on Environment, Mr Bola Ilori has formally joined the AD and was subsequently appointed the Director
General of Olusola Oke Campaign Organization.
Also, some prominent leaders of the APC in the state were said to be making moves to join the AD in line with the directives allegedly given by Tinubu.
To this end, the AD has commenced registration of new members in all the wards in the 18 local Government Area of the state.
The registration exercise is being conducted in all the polling units in the state for new members, while old members would also renew their membership.
The AD has also embarked on intensive mobilization exercise through sensitization campaigns in all the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.
However, the Publicity Secretary of the APC, Prince Abayomi Adesanya said efforts are on by the leadership of the APC in the state to reach out to the aggrieved members with a view to ensuring that they remain in the party.
He said: “There is no cause for alarm. We are making efforts to beg them not to destroy the house we built together and I am sure they will allow reasons to prevail at the end of the day.”
PDP accuses APC of sewing Army uniforms
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has raised the alarm over the alleged discovery of illegal Army uniforms allegedly sowed by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party alleged that the APC has resorted to such illegal act as part of its election rigging plots.
The PDP also alleged that “the APC and another opposition party are now busy collecting voter cards from potential voters with a promise of an imaginary palliative ahead of next month’s election.”
In a statement issued by the PDP Director of Publicity, Mr Ayo Fadaka, the party said it has uncovered the plan of opposition parties in the state to flood the state with thugs in fake army uniform with the aim of intimidating voters and rig on election day.
According to the statement, “the opposition parties have engaged garment makers contracted to make available Army Uniforms of different sizes for use by their thugs to enable them alter proceedings and manipulate election during and after voting on election day. “
The statement added that the tailors handling the sowing project are currently working from two neighbouring states. In the same vein, the PDP informed that members of one of the parties participating in the November 26 gubernatorial election have stock-piled arms in a location within the state.
To this end, the PDP has warned the people of the state against activities of members of the opposition party who it alleged have been collecting the PVC of potential voters for keeps on the pretence that it will qualify them for food items that would be supplied as palliative to cushion the effect of the present economic crunch.
Warning the people against the antics of those it described as “political frauds, desperate to steal the peoples’ mandate by any means possible”, the PDP said the opposition parties contesting the approaching gubernatorial election with it are desperate and have been adopting all kinds of fraudulent means to ensure that the people are short-changed in the course of the election.”
“It is important for the people to know that anyone that asks for their PVC as condition to fulfil a promise is only out to steal from them and deprive them of their voting right,” the party stressed.
AD drums support for Oke
Ondo State chapter of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) has said that its governorship candidate, Chief Olusola Oke has all it takes to win the November 26 election in the state.
The party at the end of its stakeholders meeting held yesterday in Akure declared that Oke was qualified to contest the election, having met all the requirements stipulated for its governorship candidate.
The party equally debunked the insinuation that some members were against the candidature of Oke, having presented Mr Segun Olowookere as its flag bearer before the defection of the former to the party.
The AD chairman in the state, Mr. Seriki Adebobola said the party has processes which its governorship candidate must pass through, stressing that Oke had met all the conditions and was consequently adopted with the consent of the former candidate, Olowookere.
He said: “We are using this forum to disown the youths who in their unruly action embarrass our candidate by claiming that he has no right to contest under the platform of the party.
‘’We want Chief Oke to note that such statement did not emanate from the AD.’’
He recalled that Oke was earlier planning to defect into Action Alliance (AA) but quickly retraced his step by joining AD having recognized the fact that AD is the party for the South West.”
Adebobola said Oke was embraced and welcomed into the party as a man with sound academic and administrative pedigree which he noted would be to the advantage of the AD in the forthcoming November 26 poll.
His words: “Olowookere stepped down for Oke formally and he followed due process. He signed all the necessary papers with INEC and the electoral body ratified him (Oke) as AD governorship flag bearer.
“Similarly, we want to inform the public that Olowookere never took money before handing over the ticket to Oke, hence he has been chosen as the AD leader in Ondo State. We want to say categorically that such a youth association does not exist at all.
“They wanted to create confusion within our party. We know the antics of the opposition, and we are not moved. We remain focused, our target is victory on November 26 and we know the faceless youths were sponsored by those desperate for power, they can embark on any prank, but we are winning the election.”
The AD chairman further urged Oke to continue with his strategic move of wooing voters to the party to facilitate his victory and that of the party to rescue the state from its present hardship.