THE runner-up in the September 3 governorship primary of Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC), Olusegun Abraham, yesterday urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the police to probe and prosecute those behind the fake names smuggled into the party’s delegates’ list.
Besides, the Ikare-Akoko born entrepreneur advised the leadership of the party, particularly President Muhammadu Buhari, to sustain his personal integrity by dispassionately wading into the post-primary crisis to ensure that his “stolen mandate” is retrieved.
Abraham, who spoke in Akure, the state capital, said: “This mandate is not just mine; it belongs to the entire people of the state. Those behind the padded delegates’ list must be prosecuted. We don’t want it to be extended to other states of the federation.”
The governorship aspirant affirmed that the people loved him because of his uniqueness, stressing that his campaign had a true human face that related well with the people’s needs.
He said: “I did not campaign like a typical politician, but with facts and figures that were themed around wealth creation, practical ways of developing the economy with the people’s direct involvement, rebuilding a crumbled value system and so on.
“So, it is understandable why the people keep supporting my aspiration and why they keep clamouring for the reclamation of his mandate.”
Abraham described APC National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun’s move as shocking and shameful, adding that in normal circumstances, such action by a leader of a progressive party like the APC should be followed by “honourable resignation”.
He predicted that if his mandate was not retrieved, the APC loss would be automatic in the general election.
According to Abraham, “if the APC sticks to the Rotimi Akeredolu’s option, the party would lose, because the people are apathetic towards his candidacy”.
Abraham appealed to the President to ensure that the anomaly, which happened on September 3, is corrected to prevent the party’s downfall under his watch and to also maintain the party’s anti-corruption stance.
The leading APC governorship aspirant said he would use the party’s internal mechanism to secure his mandate without court action, stressing that Nigeria was under democratic government and not military.
According to him, Akeredolu had earlier boasted that the primary election would shock the people.
He added that it was ironically shocking that non-delegates carried the party tags and voted with fake list in the 21st century.
Abraham said APC primary election and consequent steps taken by Odigie-Oyegun were embarrassing.
He noted that the development was synonymous with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), especially during the election of Nigerian Governors Forum(NGF), when minority ruled the majority.
He urged President Buhari as an honest and patriotic leaders, who believes in justice and rule of law to intervene in Ondo APC crisis in the interest of the party.
(source: http://scannewsnigeria.com)