BY OUR CORRESPONDENT
The All Progressives Congress, APC has postponed the primary election to choose its governorship candidate by 24 hours. The National office of the party announced this in Abuja on Wednesday. So instead of the earlier date of Thursday July 19, it will now hold on Friday July 20, 2018.
Prior to the announcement by Bolaji Abdullahi, national publicity secretary of the party there have been complaints by members about the adopted method of direct primary. Now more issues are being raised by the aspirants.
Some of the aspirants are not comfortable with open ballot system, while others accuse the party leadership of working to the answer. For instance, two of the aspirants- Kunle Adegoke and Dare Adetunji- have alleged that party leaders are lobbying for Gboyega Oyetola, chief of staff to Rauf Aregbesola, whose tenure expires in November.
In fact, Adegoke claimed that the state government is intent on using state apparatus for the fellow they described as the anointed candidate.
At a press conference in Osogbo on Wednesday Adegoke said, “I Kunle Rasheed Adegoke ( K. Rad), unequivocally state that this primary election is already schemed in favour of Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola by some leaders of the party.”
They alleged that the open ballot system was adopted by the leaders so it will be so cumbersome that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC would not be able to effectively monitor the exercise, thereby giving them room to manipulate the result. This is because it would have to take place in all 332 wards in the state.
The aspirants alleged that their supporters were already being threatened by those routing for Oyetola.
That is not the only fear they are expressing. They are also alleging that the party leadership may have planned to manipulate the exercise by using local government officials who they say have been deployed to officiate.
However, Oyetola denied that he was ever endorsed by Governor Aregbesola. According to him, “If Governor Aregbesola endorsed me, I will not need to struggle or campaign as I’m doing now. I have toured every nooks and crannies of this state consulting the stakeholders. I don’t discuss campaign issue with the Governor.”
But from reports gathered by TheCrest it will be hard to believe that Oyetola’s ambition does not have a semblance of the emergence of Babatunde Fashola in Lagos State in 2007. That time the party leaders in Lagos, led by then governor Bola Tinubu chose Fashola above scores of aspirants because he was said to have demonstrated a great deal commitment that was not seen in the aspirants many of who were either political associates of Tinubu or members of his cabinet. Incidentally, Fashola too was then chief of staff to Tinubu.
Perhaps that is why there are insinuations that this also has imprimatur of Aregbesola, himself a political strategist to the national leader of APC.