By Temidayo Akinsuyi



A fresh crisis is currently brewing in the South-West chapter of the All Progres­sives Congress (APC) over the Ondo governorship election scheduled to hold on October 10, Daily Inde­pendent has gathered.

The crisis, our corre­spondent gathered, revolves around moves by some powerbrokers in the party to stop Governor Rotimi Ak­eredolu from participating in the governorship prima­ry of the party scheduled for July 20.

Those opposed to Ak­eredolu in his bid to secure the governorship ticket of the APC are claiming that aside failing to unite the party as the leader in Ondo State, the governor’s alleged anti-party activities led to the defeat of Presi­dent Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential election.

Despite being the ruling party in Ondo State, Atiku Abubakar, presidential can­didate of the Peoples Demo­cratic Party (PDP), won in the state by 275, 901 votes while President Buhari of the APC came second with 241, 769 votes.

Speaking shortly after the election, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, a former deputy governor of the state and member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the APC, said President Buhari lost in the state due to the anti-party activities which members of the party, led by the governor, were en­gaged in before the general election.

He also accused Gover­nor Akeredolu of directing members of the APC in the state to work for some can­didates of Action Alliance (AA) in the 2019 general elec­tions held in the state.

Also, last month, a pres­sure group in the APC in the state, the Ondo APC Mandate Group (OAMG), said APC’s President Bu­hari lost the 2019 presiden­tial election in the state and attributed the loss to lack of support by the governor.

The group further threat­ened to work against the APC should the party go ahead and give the ticket to Akeredolu.

In the words of the conve­ner of the group, Olugbenga Bojuwomi, “We don’t expect the national leadership of the party to allow Akere­deolu to contest even the primary.

“In fact, if we are in a sane society and the party is working normal, we don’t expect Akeredeolu to still be in the party.

“If the party eventual­ly features Akeredolu as the sole candidate after the July primaries, we, the APC members in Ondo, are going to do our own anti-par­ty activities by campaigning against the APC during the election.

“The APC should just for­get Ondo State if the party rewards Akeredeolu’s dis­loyalty because what it means is that disloyalty pays.”

Speaking with our cor­respondent on Monday, a credible source in the party said Akeredolu was having a running battle with some politicians in Abuja who felt he should be punished for his role in President Bu­hari’s loss in Ondo State.

He also said the gover­nor’s ambition did not enjoy the support of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the national leader of the party, whom Akeredo­lu had made disparaging re­marks about publicly.

According to our source, “Even though Tinubu has not declared support for any of the governorship aspirants, it is clear that he doesn’t want Akeredolu to emerge as the party’s gover­norship candidate.

“Tinubu is nursing a presidential ambition and he believes Akeredolu’s con­tinued stay as governor will not help his cause.”

He, however, said Ak­eredolu enjoyed the sup­port of some bigwigs in the South-West such as Gover­nor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and Senator Ibikunle Amosun, a former governor of Ogun State.

“While Tinubu is opposed to Akeredolu securing the ticket, the likes of Fayemi and Amosun are doing ev­erything to make sure there is a soft landing for the gov­ernor.

“Fayemi visited Papa Bisi Akande last week and a lot of people believe it is on the issue of Akeredolu,” the source said.

Anxiety in the state heightened last week when news filtered in that one of the 12 governorship as­pirants screened last week had been disqualified from participating in the primary.

An online news medium had also claimed Akeredo­lu was the one disqualified due to his alleged anti-party activities.

The governor, however, asked his supporters to dis­regard the rumour, saying he would participate in the primary.

In a statement, he de­scribed the news as another distraction unleashed with the aim of deceiving the un­suspecting public.

He said: “This is yet an­other distraction unleashed with the aim of deceiving the unsuspecting public and diverting attention from the self-imposed pains on the part of those behind the story.

“It is clearly coming from those who have chosen the perfidious political path. Governor Akeredolu is not just participating at the party primary, he shall be re-elected by the grace of God on October 10, 2020.”

Our source also gath­ered that those opposed to Akeredolu are backing the decision of the 11 governor­ship aspirants in rejecting the indirect primary method sanctioned by the Caretaker Committee of the party.

Among the 12 aspirants, only Akeredolu is in support of indirect primary method while the 11 others are root­ing for the direct mode.

Also on Monday, party delegates of the APC in Ondo State declared war on 11 governorship aspirants for calling them rogue and untrusted party people.

It would be recalled that 11 out of the 12 aspirants jostling for the ticket of the APC on Sunday said they could not trust the party delegates if the indirect mode of primary is finally adopted for the conduct of the governorship primary election of the party.

The aspirants, led by Olu­sola Oke, SAN; Ife Oyedele, and Olayide Adelami de­scribed the party delegates as rogues ready to milk them dry.

But the delegates, in a statement signed by Yemi Akinwande (Central), Muy­iwa Olakunle (North), and Ayenuro James (South) said they were ready to show the aspirants that they were truly rogues come July 20 at the governorship prima­ry election.

They said despite the fact that the majority of them were for continuity, there were some of them that could still be swayed if not for the unguarded state­ments from the aspirants.

“Their statement on us really shows the kind of leaders these aspirants will be if any of them is finally elected as candidate of our great party.

“We take exception to their name calling habit just as we are battle ready to show them that we are rogues.

“Our party is for all com­ers. Many of them were not in the party when we emerged as delegates. We will not allow them to come into our house and rubbish our integrity.

“In 2016, Olusola Oke de­fected from PDP to APC. He was not with us when we were forming the structure of the party.

“Yet, he participated in the primary election. Al­though he lost he had dele­gates who voted for him.

“They weren’t rogues then? They didn’t milk him dry then? Did he not camp delegates at different hotels and give them money?

“We are not bothered with the name calling. Whether they trust us or not is their own headache.

“We will continue to pursue what is best for our party. They did not just call us names, they have already made efforts to make sure we are illegally removed. But God is not man. They have been disappointed,” one of the delegates said.

https://www.independent.ng/ondo-guber-poll-may-lead-to-crisis-in-south-west-apc/

OK

na today?

Jagaban this, Asiwaju that ! Why always Tinubu? Everybody sha love to associate themselves to baba ologo

I do not really understand why Tinubu wants to control everything. He will lose relevance with this attitude.

If am his adviser, I would ask him to back off on some issues. Or more so play the role of a peace maker.

A fresh crisis is currently brewing in the South-West chapter of the All Progres­sives Congress (APC) over the Ondo governorship election scheduled to hold on October 10, Daily Inde­pendent has gathered.

Has there been a time APC is not embroiled in one crisis after another since coming to power ?

Aketi's anti-party activities is no longer a secret, and with the ongoing internal crisis of confidence among the aspirants, APC should just forget Ondo state.

Akeredolu's anti party activities was not the major reason for APC's poor performance in Ondo during 2019 general elections. It was actually down to Buhari's poor performance in office. Ondo people were not happy with Buhari's adminstration as they could not pinpoint anything they achieved under his government, so they turned their back against APC in 2019. Buhari actually came here to campaign, Atiku did not, yet Atiku won here. Ogun governor also play anti party, but Atiku did not win there, Atiku won here. So what the heck? Nigerian politicians know the truth, but they don't like to face the reality, no matter how glaring it is. They always like to play politics with everything. One thing about ondo people is that they are very loyal, but once you disappoint them and they eventually turn their back on you, they will never and never change their mind again. The same thing is happening to AKeti today. He is already a goner.

SpecialAdviser:
I do not really understand why Tinubu wants to control everything. He will lose relevance with this attitude.

If am his adviser, I would ask him to back off on some issues. Or more so play the role of a peace maker.

read the news well again.
Tinubu do not have any candidate in ondo.

If newspaper no link Tinubu name to the news, how will wailers enjoy it.
Even if APC cow die in pregnancy ,the news will call it Tinubu ally dies while anti tinubu politicians moves to replace the cow with their own

There is no south west state without trouble for APC ...not even Lagos ....they attack each other like everyday

Greatest critic of South West presidency dream are yorubas ....

But this hypocrites would turn blind eye to this and tell u it's Igbo than needs to keep their house in other ....talk about how igbos are not ready as it they are really ready


Why do Yorubas like to project themselves on others

Na wa oh, no be only fresh crisis, na fresh-yó. Mtcheeew

Some idiots from the south west will still blame Igbos for the crises.