Twelve out of the seventeen screened gubernatorial
aspirants for Osun Governorship race have rejected the direct mode of primary election as proclaimed by the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomole.
The party leaders also backed the purported removal of Gboyega Famodun and Alhaji Rasaq Salinsile as State Chairman and Secretary of APC as declared by 11 out of 16 members of State Working Committee of the party.
Speaking through Osun West Senatorial leader, Chief Yinusa Akintola Amobi, at a press conference addressed held at senatorial office in Iwo, the aspirants insisted that the method with which other elections had been conducted in recent times should also be used for July 19th 2018 APC primary
election in the state.
Flanked by all senatorial leaders from Osun West including party state officers, state lawmakers from the zone, Aregbesola cabinet members, local government party chairmen, special advisers, 25 local government chairmen and councillors, women leaders, youth leaders across the state among others, Amobi warned the National secretariat of the party to rescind it’s earlier decision to use direct mode of
primary election if it does not want to lose the state to opposition.
He explained that all the 12 aspirants from the zone had met and resolved that delegate system should be used for them that anything short of this would not be tolerated. Amobi said the senatorial is rejecting the direct mode of primary because there is no verifiable data base of APC members register for each units and electoral wards as it obtained in INEC voters register.
He said further that there is no way to ascertain APC party membership/strenght in the state while APC party membership registration have never been updated since 2014. According to him, “adoption of open primaries will lead to chaos of an unimaginable magnitude which would definitely weaken the party strength, resolution of which might not be
achieved until 2019 general election.
“It should be stressed at this point that there are more than the aforementioned reasons why Osun State should not be lost to the opposition in the pursuit of ulterior motivated request of some powers that be who have lavishly enjoyed our strong and unwavering supports for the upward of a decade.”
The party stakeholders further argued that had the NationalvSecretariat of APC insist on direct primary, it should have started it with the election of Adams Oshiomole stressing that the only way for Osun APC to win September 22nd 2018 governorship race is to zone the slot to Osun West and use delegate system mode of primary in the conduct of party primary slated for July 19th 2018.
Among the aspirants present at the conference were, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, Dr. Peter Babalola, Alhaji Saka Layoonu, Hon. Gafar Amere, Hon. Najeem Salami, Engr. Mumini Olabanji, Mr Dayo Oyebanji while party stalwarts included Hon. Patricia Etteh, Senator Mudasiru Hussein, Barr. Gbadegesin Adedeji, Alhaji Gbadebo Ajao, Hon Ayo Omidiran
Alhaji Sule Alao, commissioners, Special Advisers, local government chairmen and sympathizers from other senatorial district.
The National Chairman of the party had on Monday
announced the adoption of Direct party primary for the emergence of the party’s flag bearer slated for 19th Thursday 19th July saying it would facilitate the participation of all party members in the decision of who becomes the party’s candidate.
Amobi called on the National Working Committee of the party to rescind the proclamation of direct party primaries for the conduct of the election without delay to avoid devastating effect for the party.
The District according to him demanded for the usage of delegates system for picking the party’s flag bearer not for selfish interest adding that it is aimed at ensuring the representation of teaming and committed members of the party in the choice of their candidate.
While supporting the action of 11 state working committee that announced the suspension in office of the party chairman and secretary for the state, Akintola said since they were not part of the signatories to the purported letter requesting for direct primary for the conduct of the election. There is obvious attempt at imposing a candidate on members
of the party.
