Members of the All Progressives Congress in Ilaje Local Government area of Ondo State on Sunday protested at the party’s secretariat in Akure over what they called imposition of chairmanship candidate.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that APC had on February 5 and 6 held its councillorship and chairmanship primaries in all the 203 wards of the 18 local government areas of the state.
The protesters, who carried placards with various inscriptions, alleged the imposition of Goke Jatuase, the current Education Secretary in the local council, from Mahin ward 1.
Some of the placards read: We don’t want imposition; Stakeholders, Save Ilaje from Anti-Aketi; Pick candidate from the right zone; and Mahin ward II, it is not the turn of Mahin ward I.
Adehin Ekundayo, one of the protesters, said some political office holders decided to impose the aspirant on them rather than allowing all the eight aspirants to contest the primaries.
Ekundayo explained that it was the turn of Mahin Ward II of the council area to produce the next chairman, saying that Mahin Ward I and other wards had already occupied political offices at the state level.
Moro Success, an APC chieftain, explained that an advisory committee was set up to reconcile all the chairmanship aspirants in the council area.
Success said: “The eight-man committee, led by a former Head of Service in the state, Mr. Ajose Kudehinbu, interfaced with Jatuase, Atikase Otito, Rotimi Omomuwasan, Oyetakin Juwon, Orokotan Omokunle, Emehin Omolebi, Kunle Odidi and Ojowuro Sunday on February 10 and 11 at Oba-Ile in Akure North Local Government area.
“The committee, however, condemned the act of imposition, thereby recommending that the party leadesr and the governor should exercise their prerogative on the choice of the chairmanship candidate in Ilaje Local Government, as agreed by all the aspirants.”
In his response, Atili Agabra, the Vice Chairman of the party in the state, appealed to the protesters to be calm.
Agabra told them that the state Chairman of the party, Ade Adetimehin, had directed that all complaints should be collated, assuring that an appropriate action would be taken to resolve the problems.
He urged party members to continue to work in unity and harmony preparatory to the April 18 council polls.
