Chief Rotimi Akeredolu
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
The National Publicity Secretary of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, yesterday gave insight into the process that led to the choice of Chief Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) as the governorship candidate of the party in the October governorship election in Ondo State, saying that the party’s leadership action was democratic.
Fielding questions from journalists in his country home, Oro in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State at the sixth annual Ramadan lecture delivered by the National Missioner of Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Mohammed Abdulraheem, Mohammed said, “all the aspirants vying for the plum position were in attendance before the choice of Akeredolu.”
According to him,” we used the most democratic system because we had about 35 aspirants and they were all called to a meeting and we asked them about the zoning system and they all said there was zoning system in the state”.
He said that, “we also asked them what’s the zoning system and they started with the late Chief Adebayo Adefarati, north, it went to Chief Olusegun Agagu from south, it went to incumbent governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko in the central and therefore the slot should go back to the north and that was the sum total of what we got from what they said during the meeting with them”.
He added: “In that case, you all agreed that it should go to the north senatorial district of the state and they all said yes and all the aspirants from the south and central agreed.”
“At another meeting with the aspirants from the north, how many groups made up north senatorial district and they said, three- Akoko, Owo and Ose. The last time governorship came to you, who took it, and they said Adefarati and therefore it should go to Owo.”
Mohammed noted that: “By the time we got to that point, it was only people from Owo and Ose that we have to pick from and we used our judgement to say, of all these people here, the best person to present is Chief Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN).
“Is there anything more democratic than that, he queried?” On the planned merger of his party with Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and other parties ahead of 2015 general election, the ACN spokesman said, “ It is a reality, so make no mistake about it, it’s going to happen and it will sweep PDP out of power.”
Mohammed said: “They have been saying, we tried it 10 years ago and it didn’t work. I ask them why are they afraid if it won’t work? They should leave it to us. God’s willing, it will work.
We have resolved all our differences and that new platform will sweep PDP out of government and sweep our people out of misery and poverty.”
Mohammed said members of opposition parties were determined to use coalition front to take over the helm of government in 2015.
The ACN spokesman said what was happening in the coalition among political parties like CAN, ACN, CPC, ANPP and even PDP and other political stakeholders in the country had gone beyond talk.
, added that all the political parties are looking for Noah’s Ark to rescue them.