I’m not against anybody contesting APC governorship primary – Ex-Speaker Bamisile

Following a threat handed down by a movement in the Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress that it would sue the party if the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, emerges as governorship candidate, former Speaker of the State Assembly, Hon. Femi Bamisile, has dissociated himself from such move.
Bamisile, a governorship aspirant, posited that he is not against anybody contesting in the May 5 primary of the party, adding that he has said several times that it is the inalienable right of anybody to seek for elective posts.
He, however, appealed to the party to conduct a primary bereft of manipulation and all forms of electoral heists for APC to be united to prosecute the election.
A group, operating under the banner of APC Concerned Patriots, had on Tuesday threatened to resort to litigation if Fayemi emerges as the candidate since he has been indicted by a judicial panel set up by Governor Ayodele Fayose.
In the white paper of the judicial panel, Fayemi was barred from holding political positions for 10 years, having been found guilty of alleged financial impropriety while superintending over the state.
In a statement he personally issued on Thursday, Bamisile maintained that he is not favourably disposed to litigation, describing the option as being capable of causing division within the party.
Bamisile added that such step might be counterproductive and could threaten the much needed unity that the party needs to win the impending state governorship election.
He added that since 2015, he had worked assiduously to rebuild the party from the wards to the units and local government levels.
He also said any action that can cause disaffection within the ranks of the party will rubbish all the years of hard work he has put into rebuilding the party.
The APC chieftain pleaded with those who are aggrieved with the present situation to sheathe their swords and join others to strengthen the party and ensure a smooth primaries and victory in the state governorship election.
Bamisile’s words: “To me, anything that will threaten my efforts at ensuring cohesion and unity of the party, in any form, would amount to rubbishing my efforts of many years, to which I had committed unquantifiable amount of personal resources.
“After the party lost the Governorship election in 2015, I single handedly stayed behind in the state, while everybody else abandoned the ship of the party and went their different ways.
“I went from the unit, to wards, to every local government areas in the state. All this while, I was going around working with like minds in these areas, building the party, by encouraging and motivating our members, whose spirit were weary and were de-motivated by the party’s loss to PDP.”
Bamisile said to have all these efforts destroyed by any kind of action will not only make him sad, but will also destroy his own personal motivation.
He enjoined all aggrieved members to join him and others to bury their differences and work towards the oneness of the party and work towards its success in the governorship election.
He promised to be part of any effort aimed at resolving the situation and restoring peace and unity in the party.
He said: “We all have to be under one roof, in order to win the governorship election.
“I will love for this to happen and I will be happy to be part of any effort aimed at achieving this.
“I won’t be part of any action that can decimate or weaken the party.”