By James Sowole in Akure
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the adoption of the direct primary method which produced Mr Gboyega Oyetola as the party’s candidate for the inconclusive governorship election of Osun State saved the party from total failure.
The factional chairman of the party in Ondo State and proponent of direct primary, Mr Idowu Otetubi, stated this in a communique issued at the end of the stakeholders meeting of the faction in Akure, Ondo State Monday.
In the communique signed by Otetubi and the secretary, Gani Mohammed, the party commended the process and the electoral body for organising an election that is clean, free and fair.
“We have seen the dynamics in Osun and how far it has played out. We are bold to say that were it not for the sense of participation of many of our stakeholders that elected the candidate of the party, power in the pockets of a few individuals would have immersed the fortune of the party in the putrid water of failure.
“That the party waxed this far in the election in Osun State is a testimony to the efficacy of direct primary system in primary election.
“Again, we wish to state that we are committed to direct primary,” Otetubi said.
While commending the party faithful for their activities during the election, Otetubi called on members, leaders and stakeholders to close rank for total victory in the Thursday’s supplementary election.
To ensure the commitment of all members of the party as the 2019 elections approach, the chairman called on the national leadership of the party to intervene and ensure that direct primary is adopted in electing candidates of the party.
“If well handled, direct primary will not only return power and right of choice to party members, it will conquer imposition and tendency of emperor in leaders that chose to depart from progressive politics and democratic norms,” he said.
The chairman also took a swipe at the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) for rejecting the list presented to the commission by his faction despite a court order.
“We felt democracy was brazenly raped, the reason we approached the court. On the merit of our case, the court resolved that the current crops of people that are promoting themselves as party executives in our party are not known to law.
“We are pleased that a valid order was granted by the court to stop the injustice and brazen shenanigans of a few elements that are out to walk down our party to disunity and ultimately, failure in the coming elections.
“On the strength of the order of the court, we have submitted the list of the candidates of our party to ODIEC.
“Being an agent of the government and the few that concocted the delegate lists, they have technically avoided the list. We have written to ODIEC and the court to inform the court that its order is being disobeyed. The court will appropriately do the needful in this direction,” he said.
