- Kekemeke says he has lost confidence in the process
By Banji Ayoola
Few hours to the All Progressives Congress, APC, primary to choose its candidate in the October 10 governorship election in Ondo State, three more aspirants have withdrawn from the race to boost the chances of the incumbent Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN.
They include Dr Olusegun Abraham, Mr Jimi Odimayo and Dr Nathaniel Adojutelegan, who said they quit the primary contest in a bid to move the party forward.
The development comes on the heels of withdrawal on Sunday night from the race by Engineer Ife Oyedele, also for Akeredolu.
This leaves only eight of the original 12 aspirants in the race for the party’s ticket. They are Akeredolu; a former Secretary to the State Government, SSG, and former APC state chairman, Mr Isaacs Kekemeke; daughter of the pioneer National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, leader and the state’s Second Republic Governor Michael Adekunle Ajasin, Mrs Jumoke Anifowose; a former governorship candidate, Chief Olusola Oke; former Action Congress state chairman and an envoy, Ambassador Olusola Iji; Mr Owolabi Adelami; Mr Awodeyi Akinsehinwa; and Mr Olubukola Adetula.
Meanwhile, Kekemeke has said he has totally lost confidence in the process that led to the indirect primaries that will produce the candidate of the party ahead of Governorship poll in October.
He said that the committee led by Governor Yahaya Bello was not fair to many of the governorship aspirants adding. “I said as much to Governor Yahaya Bello and his team.
They were handing the delegates list to us at exactly 11: 20 pm. I received mine at 11:22 pm on the 19th of July, and I was seeing guidelines for the first time at about 11:22 pm.
For me, this process is unfair. It is aimed at producing a predetermined result because all we have heard about this election had been heard through government officials, sources that are friendly or campaigning for the governor to return.
He knows when it is going to be wards, he knows when it is going to be local government headquarters and he knows when it is going to be at the state capital.
l have lost confidence in the process. It is not about who wins or loses, all I am saying is that those who lose must lose fairly and those who win must win fairly.
A party must not subvert its process and must not treat its members as if the members needed the party to survive much more than the party needs members to survive.
The party must learn to be fair. A level playing field has not been provided. It doesn’t matter even if I win. This is not the fair thing to do. You do not conduct an election where you have collected money from the people and have screened them but you fail to let them know how and where the election is taking place and you only called them to a meeting at 11 pm and speak to them as if you were speaking to boys.”
Kekemeke said: “l am happy that we told Governor Yahaya Bello and his team that we are not boys and we deserve some respect as leaders of this party.”
