By Dayo Johnson
THE governorship primaries of the All
Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo
State earlier scheduled for tomorrow
but now shifted to next week
Wednesday, will definitely make or
mar the performance of the party in
the November 26 governorship
election.


The atmosphere is tense in the APC
owing to the endorsement of a
particular aspirant by former
governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu. Already, 24 aggrieved
aspirants are not pleased with with
this development and are
determined to make it known during
the primaries.
Perhaps, for fear of possible break
down of law and order, the party had
thought of the Military barracks but
was turned down by military
authorities. It eventually settled for
Democracy Park.
Imposition
The governorship aspirants are
bitter about the imposition of a
preferred candidate and are
determined to 'fight dirty' on
Saturday. Several nocturnal
meetings are being held by the
aspirants within and outside the
state capital ostensibly to “clip the
wings of Asiwaju's anointed
candidate during the election.” Also,
delegates said being camped in
different hideouts by aspirants.
Aggrieved aspirants
Arrowheads of the move to block
Tinubu from having his way include
Senator Ajayi Boroffice, Bode
Ayorinde, Rotimi Akeredolu and
Olusola Oke . Others who are not
manly enough to fight openly prefer
underground campaign against
Oracle Tinubu’s anointed candidate.



Many party chieftains who were
against the choice of the Oracle have
started to fall in line so as not to
loose out completely in case
Abraham emerges. Akeredolu was
straight in his reaction when he
declared that “openly availing an
aspirant the structure of the party to
the detriment of all others can only
engender disastrous consequences
for the party.”
Also, Boroffice is insisting that
Kekemeke is biased and should
honorably step down until
November 26 after the conduct of
the governorship election adding
that Asiwaju Tinubu has no anointed
candidate in the election.
He wondered why other aspirants
were subjected to payment of
expression of interest, with the huge
financial commitment involved in
obtaining forms and participating in
screening exercise, a pre-condition
for eligibility to participate in the
contest if the issue is already a
foregone conclusion.
Kekemeke's removal
To show their displeasure, the
aspirants have descended on the
carrier of the message of
endorsement in the person of the
deposed state Chairman, Mr Isaac
Kekemeke and tactically spared the
oracle (Tinubu) until Saturday where
they are determined to spring a
surprise.
Their loyalists have turned the party
secretariat to a theatre of war within
the last one week over the
endorsement saga. In the aftermath
of the disturbances the state
chairman Hon Isaac Kekemeke was
sacked for doing the bidding of
Tinubu by colluding with him to
impose Abraham over and above 24
other aspirants.
Within the last one week of the
“war” the hitherto peaceful
opposition party in the state has
produced three state chairmen who
have been struggling to occupy the
party secretariat,the seat of power.
Loyalists of the aspirants who
unconsciously played to the gallery,
after removing the chairman
installed an accomplice, Saka Yusuf
Ogunleye who is a party executive.
This gave them away as fighting for
selfish interest.
Their efforts to push for the removal
of the chairman through when they
had audience with the National
Chairman of the party, Chief John
Odigie-Oyegun in Abuja last week
fell flat as they were informed that
their grouses against him were
misplaced as the conduct of the
primaries was out of the Kekemeke's
purview and the allegation of
tinkering with the delegate lists was
an impossibility.
It was gathered that 23 of the
aspirants, who attended the
meeting in Abuja, spoke ill of
Kekemeke but Oyegun insisted that
endorsement is not the same as
imposition and that the party would
organize a free, fair and transparent
primary tomorrow.
The party was careful not to rock the
boat by dancing to the beat of the
aggrieved aspirants to remove the
Chairman barely three months to the
election.
On return to their base, the coupists,
asked Ogunleye to step down for the
state vice chairman, Ade Adetimehin
who will steer the ship until their
demand of easing out the chairman
from office receives the blessing of
the party National Executive
committee .
However, Kekemeke remains the
occupier of the party secretariat as
all efforts to chase him out met with
resistance from his loyalists who
have literally converted the party
secretariat to their residence to
forestall a possible take over by the
other faction.
As the loyalists of the aspirants
passed a vote of no confidence on
the Chairman, the National Vice
Chairman of the party in South West
chief Pius Akinyelure, Elder forum of
the party led by Senator Nimbe
Farunkanmi have equally lent their
support for the embattled chairman
and approved the stance of Tinubu
on Abraham.
Findings showed that almost all the
aspirants directly or by proxy
actually sought the endorsement of
Tinubu who they see as a factor in
the coming election. Many of them
have touted endorsement by Tinubu
especially after a visit to him at his
palatial bourdillion home and having
taken photographs with him.
Crying wolf now smacks hypocrisy
and insincerity on the part of the
aspirants. Reports also had it that
almost all the aspirants received the
endorsement of leaders of the party
within and outside of the state.
Gale of endorsement
While Abraham received the prized
endorsement from the Oracle, Oke
who was planning to pair with Bola
Ilori as his deputy received the
endorsement of Osun state
governor, Rauf Aregbesola.
Akeredolu has that of the state Vice
chairman Ade Adetimehin, Boroffice
is tied to the apron of another
national leader, Chief Bisi Akande
and wife of Tinubu, Remi Tinubu.
Former Ekiti state governor, a
national leader of the party in the
zone, Segun Oni supports the
aspiration of Demola Adegoroye,
while the vice chairman of the party
in the zone Chief Pius Akinyelure
also endorsed Awodeyi Apata.
On his part, Bode Ayorinde was
believed to be enjoying the support
of the embattled state chairman
before the Oracles verdict on
Abraham. Other aspirants rode on
the back of one or two members of
the state executive. But now that the
cap has been placed on Abraham’s
head, almost all the aspirants are
gearing for a showdown tomorrow.
Informed sources said that the
aspirants are planning to execute a
coup tomorrow to shame the
anointed son of Tinubu. But can they
push through their rebellion against
the Jagaban of Borgu? The outcome
of next week's primaries will
determine their political relevance
or otherwise in the party.



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/ondo-apc-in-make-or-mar-gov-primaries/