ONDO APC: THE UNTOLD STORY OF WHY OYEGUN CHOSE GOD ABOVE TINUBU

It all started so well and things were going on fine with 24 serious contenders working hazardously to be the chosen bride and become the candidate of the All Progressive Congress in Ondo State. Nobody expected a perfect primary election because you can not get that in this part of the world, at least not yet. However, going by the words of the National leader and the party hierarchy at both national and state levels, they were all expecting some decency and resemblance of a level playing field for all the gladiators.

The bubble busted when the news broke out that the national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has endorsed Dr. Segun Abraham, one of the aspirants. This news jolted everybody and created confusion across the entire state. Prior to this, about four of these aspirants have claimed at one time to be the anointed aspirant of the revered national leader. Crisis engulfed Ondo State APC after this endorsement and the presidency intervened at some points.

While the anointed aspirant moved around with pride, the other endorsement claimants ganged up against him. They formed what was then called Movement Against Imposition and even attempted to remove the party chairman Hon. D. I. Kekemeke, who was suspected of having a hand in the endorsement drama. Things moved from bad to worse and the center could no longer hold.

The heat of the gang up got to Asiwaju and it became crystal clear that his anointed aspirant Dr Abraham will not make it. This created confusion in his camp. While notable Nigerians begged him to hands off and allow level playing ground for all the aspirants, he defiantly insisted that his chosen aspirant must win the primary at all cost.

Prior to this, Bola Ilori was the main pillar behind Chief Olusola Oke, with his promise to deliver imaginary 1,003 delegates to him. All efforts to get Bola Ilori to dump Olusola Oke for Dr. Abraham failed. Out of desperation, Bola Ilori’s benefactor (who actually introduced him to Asiwaju when Ilori was nobody) was imported from abroad to speak sense into his head. Unfortunately all the tricks failed and Ilori refused to budge.

Mainwhile, the crisis caught the attention of both the presidency and the National working Committee of the party. All the aspirants were invited to Abuja and meetings were held with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the party hierarchy. The aspirants ventilated their grievances and they were assured of a level playing field.

Back home plans were in top gear to sway things in favor of Dr. Abraham to ensure that he wins the primary election at all cost. All these were happening under the watchful eye of the platoon commander, Hon. D.I Kekemeke, the party Chairman who naturally should be neutral. Out of many desperate options, the best and most practicable was to neutralize Bola Ilori since he refused to oblige to Asiwaju’s request.

Dr Ademodi, Bola Ilori’s arch-rival in Ondo was co-opted into the script. These two leaders controlled the delegates of both Ondo East and West local government areas. Bola Ilori controlled 60% of the entire delegates from these two local government, according to the delegates list given to the aspirants during their meeting with the national organizing committee in Abuja. The list was allegedly manipulated by Bola Ilori to favor his own aspirant, in person of Olusola Oke.

The party chairman, Hon. D. I. Kekemeke, adjusted the delegates list and gave Dr. Ademodi almost 70% delegates from Ondo East and West. He effected few insignificant changes in other local government areas to erode suspicion. This was done after Dr. Ademodi promised to deliver his bulk vote to Dr. Abraham. The contract was signed and sealed. He was adequately rewarded. The new list was sent as the authentic delegates list with a cover letter signed by the party chairman, Hon. D. I. Kekemeke, to the national organizing committee and requested that the new list must be used for the primary election, in the interest of peace in Ondo state. The national organizing committee and some members of the national working committee were not happy about the development but because they knew that Kekemeke was doing Asiwaju’s bidding, they allowed him and adopted the new list as requested.

The new list was sent through Governor Badaru, the Ondo APC Primary Election chairman. The innocent man knew nothing about the underground dirty games and did all he could humanly to conduct a free, fair and transparent primary election. The list was delivered just 8-hours to the primary election. Barr. Rotimi Akeredolu was the first aspirant to protest against the new list. He even submitted his protest letter that same night.

Fate did a deadly blow on Dr. Abraham, Barr. Kekemeke and Asiwaju himself when greed took the better side of Dr. Ademodi. Instead of delivering his delegates in bulk to Dr. Abraham as agreed, he turned himself to overnight merchant. The Zion Gate Hotel where he camped his delegates was like a stock market on the eve of the election. Delegates were traded like commodities and the merchant allocated to the highest bidder. Luckily Akeredolu was one of the lucky buyers. For every delegate sold, the chance of Dr. Abraham slipped away.

Dr. Abraham and Barr. Kekemeke were so sure of their calculation and were just waiting for the result. Unknown to them that their merchant has sold out. Just imagine, the Personal Assistant to Kekemeke, the party chairman was the polling agent to Dr. Abraham at the primary election. That further explains how much impunity was on display. As the Chairman saw nothing wrong in openly using the engines and machineries of the party to promote Dr. Abraham and violate the party's constitution which prescribes that the Chairman should be neutral and act as umpire. But as God will have it, all their plans failed and Akeredolu won the primary election.

When Akeredolu was declared winner of the party all other aspirants were happy and jubilating not because they love Akeredolu but simply because they were disappointed by the roles the duo of Kekemeke and Asiwaju Tinubu played. As expected, most Nigerian politicians are bad losers. It wasn’t surprising thereafter when people started making frivolous claims within 24-hours after the election. The loudest noise came from Dr. Abraham, calling for the cancellation of the election. According to him, the delegates list was doctored and adulterated. In all his protests, he has failed so far to name the culprits behind the adulterated delegates list.

The claim and counter claims led to 3 applications to the Ondo APC election appeal committee. The 3 complainants called for the cancellation of the election and prayed for rerun election. There were allegations of food sellers and vulcanizers possing as delegates and voted for a particular aspirant. The truth about this is that more than 60% of the delegates across Ondo state were either artisan or jobless. Of all the claims upon which they want the election to be cancelled, the only one that was substantiated and proved was the change of delegates list.

Yes, the list was changed and the committee recommended for the cancellation of the election without ascertaining and explaining why the list was changed and who changed it. The National Chairman and some objective members of the NWC strongly believe that Akeredolu should not pay for the crime engineered by Asiwaju and committed by Kekemeke. The committee’s report was queried for not investigating to ascertain the brain behind the doctored delegates list and name the expected beneficiary. Against what was shown on national television and recorded by the Governor Badaru committee, the Tribunal mutilated the results and claimed that total votes was more than the number of accredited delegates. The NWC discovered this falsehood and therefore refused to approve the cancellation of the election.

While this was going on, Asiwaju and his foot soldiers mounted undue pressure on the National Chairman and NWC to approve the cancellation of the election. The chairman believed that enough injustice has been vested on the innocent people of Ondo State, through all the shenanigans that played out before the election because Asiwaju wanted to have his way at all cost. He and some NWC members therefore opposed the cancellation of the election and the conduct of a rerun. These set of leaders strongly believed that if the election must be cancelled some people must be punished for adulterating the delegates list.

For instance, the party chairman in Ondo state may have to be removed for misleading the NWC with the adulterated list and Dr. Abraham may be disqualified from contesting the rerun, since the entire process was rubbished in an attempt to desperately sway things in his favor? We can not single out Akeredolu for punishment for a sin he didn’t commit while the sinners are allowed to gain full benefits of their crime. That was the parting point between Asiwaju and Oyegun because Asiwaju insisted on cancellation (and rerun) while his men (Abraham and Kekemeke) must not be touched.

Oyegun was then faced with the problem of daring Asiwaju and allowing the wish of God to prevail or please Asiwaju and incur the wrath of God by punishing Akeredolu for doing nothing and reward Abraham for the sins he committed; because things has been put in place to ensure that Abraham has a landslides victory in the expected rerun. Akeredolu won the election because God allowed it. Oyegun chose God above Asiwaju, is that the reason why he must go? There's God ooo!!!

To them, the election was not perfect and therefore should be cancelled. However, what punishment should be melted to those who manipulated the process and created the noticeable flaws does not arise. Between Asiwaju who did all within his power to sabotage the process to achieve his desired objective and Oyegun who insisted that sinners should not be rewarded, who is at fault? Between Abraham who was openly supported and promoted with all State party machineries and Akeredolu who simply benefitted from the residuals, who is guiltier? Should we truncate the whole process and destroy the party because one man could not achieve his sole desire? The current debacle has nothing to do with Olusola Oke. He’s just a willing pawn in the game because of his own selfish and desperate desire. It’s all about Asiwaju and his desire to have his way, no matter what.


Festus Aladesanmi, writes from Oba-ile, Akure, Ondo State.

To the op/writer below me.

Please I am reading the article you posted.

Please do not interrupt me with the Tinubu dissing.

Thank you.

it is always about tinubu. what is wrong with that old man who power always intoxicates.

But the truth is control freaks should move far away from real leadership...you can't always control people...They are not your kids...

Elected leaders should be independent to carry out their plans without one god gather somewhere sniffing around...nonsense...

Must people end up slaves all the time??....

Your article seems to be close to the truth, let mi believe 70% true because you are trying to protect Akeredolu and Oyegun interest!
Then my question to you are!
1. What is your reason for calling Olusola Oke selfish when u knew he was truly shortchange by the process?
2. Also you called for the disqualification of Abraham before they can cancel the disgraceful primary conducted by your party ! On what ground should he be disqualify?
3. Why trying to protect Oyegun? when he is the national chairman of the party and it's expected of him to foreseen and resolve debacles that will disorganised the party and he didn't do any when the list was doctored by some powerful wings, which he knows will lead to him organising a shambolic primary.

Izonpikin:
But the truth is control freaks should move far away from real leadership...you can't always control people...They are not your kids...

Elected leaders should be independent to carry out their plans without one god gather somewhere sniffing around...nonsense...

Must people end up slaves all the time??....

Exactly my point. He is always having incursions here and there around the western states.

Agbaya.

mytshirtriches:


Exactly my point. He is always having incursions here and there around the western states.

Agbaya.

allow humans make their own decisions...

Me I tire ooo...I tore for this country...

One of the reasons why leaders barely can do good for the populace...because they are struggling to please one god father somewhere....

God fatherism is quite embarrassing. It is not that this isn't happening in other countries but to the best of my knowledge the way it is practiced here in Nigeria is the way drug barons acts, owning pacts and areas.

sarki and tonye 2 paid Internet touts wont like this


BTW yesterday I read about sheik zakzaky's illegal confinement
Nigerians from all states,and zones, we're busy condemning it
but 3 zombies were on that thread defending the actions of buhari
the claimed zakzaky is a terrorist, how they came to that conclusion I have no idea.

pathetic really

petrov10:
sarki

Hmmmm!

That one na thier wahala! No chance for APC in our State....

This is super story

FagsamPHP:
That one na thier wahala! No chance for APC in our State....

Please what is your state?

Passing by

Well I trust our politicians. D OP or d one who wrote dis article is also siding a particular member in d Ondo governorship elections,that aside, I still dnt get dis man called Tinubu? Who d hell is he n y must he be obeyed?

Most times the question that comes to mind about this man is why can't he stay within his own space and jurisdiction.

I dislike him for almost everything

inukwam akuko

I will say this again. Tinubu should be very cautious and act wisely so his life can be protected. Only God understands what I just said cos me myself I don't.

saintkel:
Well I trust our politicians. D OP or d one who wrote dis article is also siding a particular member in d Ondo governorship elections,that aside, I still dnt get dis man called Tinubu? Who d hell is he n y must he be obeyed?

I am quite sure we now see the essence of bringing the president to power and someone is telling me buhari is ruling.

It was the same Tinubu that endorsed the ungrateful John Oyegun when all odds were against him to become the chairman of the party. Please go back to how APC was formed and you will acknowledge that all their principal officers were appointed based on endorsement, even the president was endorsed.

Abeg leave trash for LAWMA

mytshirtriches:

Please what is your state?

Ondo State the Sunshine State.... A place of pride

dotreal4life:
It was the same Tinubu that endorsed the ungrateful John Oyegun when all odds were against him to become the chairman of the party. Please go back to how APC was formed and you will acknowledge that all their principal officers were appointed based on endorsement, even the president was endorsed.

Abeg leave trash for LAWMA

In my own opinion, this is a retain-power strategy. He endorses, gets you to play his scrippt. when u rebel, he already has an antidote for such actions. When he is done he goes to the next person.

Why must the writer and the op bring God into a fraudulent enterprise, when it is now ckear to all that the process that brought in Aketi was an Abuja orchestrated 419? These people are trying to tell us that we must reject Tinubu and Mimiko imposition yet we should accept, support and endorse an Abuja/a.boki one? Look here op, Aketi's biggest problem is that he is an unpopular candidate even within the state chapter of his party. No amount of repackaging can save him. Abok.is will not be allowed to plant their stooges in Yorubaland. Kolewerk.

mytshirtriches:



In my own opinion, this is a retain-power strategy. He endorses, gets you to play his scrippt. when u rebel, he already has an antidote for such actions. When he is done he goes to the next person.

Retain power by who exactly? Mimiko? Abuja/Buhari 2019? or Tinubu?? Guy, go and sit down abeg. Your hypocrisy is oozing like smelling sheet.

The ONDO APC PRIMARY..... Chief Pius O.
Akinyelure.


This statement is being made public for two
important reasons. In my capacity as the
National Vice Chairman (South West) of our
great Party, the All Progressives Congress
(APC), it has become necessary to establish
a true and correct account of the events
pertaining to the 3rd September, 2016,
Ondo APC Governorship Primary and the
actions taken by the party and some of its
officials after that primary. Second, as a
democrat with a deeply rooted conviction to
fair play and transparency, it is incumbent
on me to ensure as much as possible that
our party conduct its internal operations in
consonance with the fine principles upon
which the APC was founded because it was
our vow to adhere to these ideals that
brought innumerable voters to the polls to
vote for the party during the last general
elections. I believe shall and must continue
to uphold these sterling guiding principles.
It is in this spirit that I write this letter.
The party issued a timetable for the Ondo
State APC governorship primaries in
compliance with the provisions of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, the Electoral Act, INEC guidelines,
the Party Constitution and Election
guidelines. Twenty-four aspirants obtained
party nomination forms as a pre-condition
for participation in the exercise. Due to the
large number of aspirants and coupled with
the burning desire of the good people of
Ondo State to embrace the APC as they did
during the 2015 general elections, the
process generated a lot of excitement. After
all, the APC was seen as the party to beat
in Ondo State. As a result of this, our
adversaries and those who felt the victory
of APC was assured began to spoil the air
with insinuations of a purported attempt to
impose a candidate. As time would tell,
that allegation was unfounded. In reaction
to this, the party’s leadership at various
levels and stages had interactive meetings
with the aspirants to assure them of fair-
play and that the party would favor no
candidate but would act as an honest and
impartial arbiter of the process. All twenty-
four (24) aspirants were approved by the
Screening Committee appointed by the
party’s National Headquarters subsequent
upon which the Election Committee and the
Election Appeal Committee were appointed
in line with the provisions of the party’s
constitution and election guidelines.
In furtherance of the assurance given by the
leadership of the party to the aspirants,
the list of delegates who would vote during
the primary was provided to the each
aspirant for scrutiny. Here is where the
problems seem to begin. In a procedure
unclear to me and not approved by the
party, the National Organising Secretary,
who has the custody of the list, instructed
aspirants to come to him should any of them
have observations or objections to the
delegate list. The National Organising
Secretary confirmed to the National Working
Committee meeting of Monday 19th
September 2016 that he actually received
objections from some of the aspirants as to
the delegates list. Then he unilaterally
made the adjustments as he deemed fit. It
is emphasised that the National Organising
Secretary performed these adjustments
without recourse or reference to the
National Working Committee.


The National Working Committee was not
appraised of his actions before the primary.
The National Organising Secretary then
issued this altered list to the Primary
Election Committee for use in the conduct
of the election. This altered list became
available to some of the aspirants in the
early hours of the Election Day (3rd
September 2016) when the election process
was about to commence. Chief Oluwarotimi
Akeredolu,and three other aspirants
protested and raised objections as to the
delegate list to the Election Committee.
However, Committee members could not
address as it was not within their
competence to do so. They went ahead with
the conduct of the election. After the
declaration of the results of the election by
the Election Committee, three aspirants
petitioned the Election Appeal Committee
alleging discrepancies and the alteration of
the delegates list provided to them by the
Election Committee and other irregularities.
Consequent on the above, the National
Working Committee (NWC) of the party
received both the Election Committee and
the Election Appeal Committee’s reports
which were tabled at the NWC meeting of
Monday 19th September 2016. The NWC
considered the reports both at its plenary
and executive sessions where the secretariat
was excused. Almost all the members in
attendance made contributions except the
National Chairman and the National
Organizing Secretary, Chief John Odigie
Oyegun and Senator Osita Izunaso
respectively. The members expressed dismay
over the alteration of the delegate list and
were of the view that members should be
provided with copies of the two delegates
list. We wanted to see the two lists so that
we could authenticate the proper list for
use in the conduct of a re-run primary
election that will be legally acceptable to
all. It was also generally observed that the
opinion given by the National Legal Adviser
in his Memo was wrong.

That memo stated that the party should
ignore the pending litigation before the
Court of Appeal regarding the delegates
from Owo. The effect of said Memo by the
National Legal Adviser was to discreetly
inject additional disputed delegates into the
altered list. This is because the 31 August
Memo was in response to a letter to the
National Organizing Secretary from the trio
of Mrs.Olajumoke Anifowose, Chief Jamiu
Ekungba and Mr. Akin Akinsehinwa Awodeyi
which was only copied to him but delivered
to the National Chairman on 6th September
2016.This time sequence reveals that aid
Memo was made in order to lend the color
of legal rationale to what was already a
fait accompli.

I must emphasis here that for the avoidance
of doubt, delegates that constitute the
Electoral College for the purpose of
governorship primaries are elected officials
of the party in each of the local
government through a valid congress.

Therefore only those validly elected at
those congresses can be delegates. Even the
NWC cannot unilaterally alter the delegate
list talk less of subjecting the list to the
discretion of any single officer of the party
without the knowledge of any other organ
of the party. Thus the memo conveying the
opinion of the National Legal Adviser to the
National Chairman was not only an
aberration but it was in noncompliance with
the due process which the constitution of
our party envisages for a decision to be
taken by any organ of the party. Party
decisions are taken through a democratic
process or consensus building by an
appropriate organ of the party. The
Constitution of our party does not
contemplate or approve a situation where
any officer can delegate to himself powers
that are vested in organs of the party to
take decisions through a vote or majority
consensus. Such an arrogation is foreign and
improper to the constitution of the party
and to any ordinary and proper
understanding of how a collective body that
is founded on the principles of democratic
practice should conduct its most important
affairs.

At the end of the NWC meeting of Monday
19th September, the majority of NWC
members had voiced the opinion that the
name of an interim substitute candidate
should be submitted to the Independent
National Electoral Commission, INEC. This
keep the party within compliance with
INEC guidelines whilst the NWC would
assemble the next day to look at the
different delegate lists for the purpose of
authenticating the correct list for usage in
the re-run primary. It was also agreed that
further discussion be conducted with the
aspirants to keep them abreast of the
situation with a view to re-assuring them of
fairplay so that the outcome of the re-run
election would be acceptable and credible
to all.

When the NWC reconvened on Tuesday 20th
September, three(3) delegates lists (i.e. the
first list given to aspirants; the altered list
by the National Organizing Secretary and a
harmonized list by the Ondo State Party
Chairman) were circulated to members for
their scrutiny in order to determine which
list would be used as the authentic list
consonant with the earlier decision that the
delegates list compiled for the party
Congress of 2014 be used for the re-run
Ondo governorship primary. In view of the
sheer volume of the lists, the NWC agreed
that whilst members were scrutinizing the
lists, the National Chairman and the
National Secretary be mandated to consult
some party leaders and stakeholders with a
view to finding a political solution to the
issue and report back to the NWC on
Thursday 22nd September.

At the NWC’s reconvened meeting of
Thursday 22nd September, members affirmed
their position that the party should send the
name of an interim substitute candidate to
INEC while we determine the correct list
for the rerun. We believed this was a
prudent approach in that we had a clear
three weeks within which the Party could
remove the interim candidate with the
winner of the rerun primary according to
INEC guidelines. The Chairman disagreed
but rather called for a vote. Six out of
eleven members already raised their hands in
favour of submitting the interim substitute
(popularly called a dummy), while other
members raised objection as to open voting.

In defiance of the majority opinion as
reflected in the vote of 6 against 5 in
favour of submission of an interim candidate
in clear contemplation of a rerun
primary,the National Chairman, the
National Secretary and the National
Organising Secretary had secretly prepared
nomination documents even before the votes
we had taken. Ignoring the vote, they
submitted these documents to INEC. In
doing so, they violated the spirit and the
letter of our party’s controlling rules and
regulations as well the democratic ideals
upon which the party is founded.

They also
showed great disregard for the NWC by
using our meetings as a false show of
democratic practice that would cover the
arbitrary and unilateral acts which their
offices did not give them the power to take.
This statement enjoys the acquiescence of
the supportive NWC members. These
members are the six NWC members who were
against the stance taken by Oyegun on the
Ondo primaries.

CHIEF PIUS O. AKINYELURE
National Vice Chairman (SW)
All Progressives Congress

ODVanguard:

Retain power by who exactly? Mimiko? Abuja/Buhari 2019? or Tinubu?? Guy, go and sit down abeg. Your hypocrisy is oozing like smelling sheet.

I didn't post anything to engage in a fight.Mind your language. I was referring to tinubu's pattern of making sure he retains power as God father he seems to be

mytshirtriches:


I didn't post anything to engage in a fight.Mind your language. I was referring to tinubu's pattern of making sure he retains power as God father he seems to be

Yinmu. Your opinion is just as damn good as mine here guy. Say your bit and i say mine. Calling you and the writer hypocrites isnt intended to be an insult but a statement of fact, in light of the subject under discussion. This is politics we are talking about here -- which is about power and interests.

We all can't see things the same way. If the truth must be told, this whole problem in Ondo could have been avoided if Tinubu and his agents allow a level playing field for all.

mytshirtriches:
We all can't see things the same way. If the truth must be told, this whole problem in Ondo could have been avoided if Tinubu and his agents allow a level playing field for all.

At least he didnt orchestrate the doctoring of the delegates list like your Aketi's sponsors did in their desperation to impose him on the party. Tell yourself the truth. That fraud is what is prompting the other candidates, including those initially against Tinubu prior to the primaries, to rally around him now. FACT. If you are against imposition, be against it through and through, which includes condemning Jegede and Aketi imposition. Anything short of that is hypocrisy.

ODVanguard:


At least he didnt orchestrate the doctoring of the delegates list like your Aketi's sponsors did in their desperation to impose him on the party. Tell yourself the truth. That fraud is what is prompting the other candidates, including those initially against Tinubu prior to the primaries, to rally around him now. FACT. If you are against imposition, be against it through and through, which includes condemning Jegede and Aketi imposition. Anything short of that is hypocrisy.

I guess you are right.

obviously no one seems to like this man, even within his cohorts. Yet he still holds everyone to ransom.

The danger for tinubu in all these drama is that other south west state governors are monitoring the event closely,once akeredolu is allowed to contest,then come 2019 most apc governors wont wait for tinubu to endorse any candidate for them,they will choose their own candidate within or without tinubu consent. So this battle goes beyond what ppl are thinking,the truth is tinubu is now fighting for his political survival and reapect