Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, pleaded with 15 aggrieved governorship aspirants to work for the victory of the party in the off-cycle election scheduled for November in Ondo State.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who contested last weekend’s primary election with several other aspirants was declared winner by Governor Usman Ododo, who chairman the election committee.
The other aspirants were the Senator representing Ondo South Senatorial district, Jimoh Ibrahim; Olusola Oke, former President of Nigerian Medical Association, Prof. Francis Faduyile, Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo and the National Vice Chairman of the APC, South West, Isaac Kekemeke.
Others were Dr. Soji Ehinlanwo, Akinfolarin Samuel, Okunjimi Odimayo, Adewale Akinterinwa, Olugbenga Edema and Brig-Gen. Ohunyeye Olamide (rtd), Morayo Lebi, Oladiran Iyatan and Ifeoluwa Oyedele.
But some of the aspirants had since kicked against the outcome of the election, alleging irregularities. They were Olugbenga Edema, Omoba Jimmy Odimayo and Adewale Akinterinwa.
The National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, while addressing the aggrieved aspirants during a peace meeting summoned by the NWC at the party’s headquarters in Abuja appealed to them.
“I have to thank you for honouring our invitation in the shortest time and also considering the emotional distress as a result of the primary conducted in a few days.
“But equally the same, since we are all democrats, we used to have ups and downs of politics. So, I have to thank you for honouring our invitation.
“The purpose of this dialogue, this meeting is to appeal. The purpose is not to dwell on what has happened, what has not happened, what is correct, what is not correct.
“If we dwell on that, then it will lead to what we call, ‘too much analysis leads to paralysis’. If we are to dwell on that, there are professors, amongst us, lawyers, some are engineers, even the gender is being accommodated.
“We, who are less educated, the controversy will not cover us considering the galaxy of politicians, who are here. So, our own is to appeal to you. We in the party here, we are both insiders and outsiders.
“So when you say something is inside and also outside you have to think about that oxymoron. You have to think about that controversy. We are insiders because it is our party, that is a ruling party in Ondo State and we are the managers of our party in Nigeria.
“So, we are an interested party even if it is a local government election. We are outsiders because this state belongs to you, this party belongs to you. I am sure your prayer is that our party, your party should be the ruling party in Ondo state.
“I think this is our common focus, our party should be the ruling party in Ondo state. It is already a ruling party. Our prayer is that it should continue to be a ruling party in Ondo State.
“So you see, we are here to appeal to you so that we succeed in maintaining this state as APC state. I appeal to you, we are all practitioners in this game, in this politics, in this agenda.”
