By Victor Ogunje, in Ado Ekiti.
Protest rocked the Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State on Monday, as those sympathetic to the cause of former Governor Kayode Fayemi besieged the party’s state secretariat to register their disapproval of the conduct of members of the party\’s State Working Committee.
The protesters, who brandished placards of various inscriptions , also passed vote of no confidence on the State Chairman of the Party, Chief Jide Awe and party spokesman, Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun , for allegedly supporting one of the aspirants in the race.
The protest was staged under the auspices of Concerned APC Stakeholders, comprising mostly delegates and party leaders from the local government and ward levels.
They accused Awe of working in cahoots with Governor Ayodele Fayose to destabilise the party ahead of July 14 governorship election alleging that he had been offered N75 million to carry out the sinister job.
Relying on Article 21 (7) of the party’s constitution, they disbanded the SWC and set up a Caretaker Committee, headed by APC Chairman in Ise/Orun Council, Mr. Michael Eegunjobi.
To confirm that the crisis elicited by the botched May 5 governorship primary has snowballed into a full scale war, the protesters laced the gate of the party secretariat located in Ajilosun area of the state capital with fetish material made from palm oil and egg.
The beleaguered party chairman, Awe narrowly escaped being killed by irate party members and was said to have been ferried out of the secretariat by mobile policemen.
As of the time of filing this report, police vans had been stationed at the Secretariat while the one-storey building was under lock and key.
Coordinator of the group, Barr Adeoye Aribasoye said: “We are concerned APC members in Ekiti. We had it on good authority that the peaceful election held on Saturday would have been successful, but for connivance between our party Chairman and Governor Fayose. The election could have been adjudged the best in Ekiti and Nigeria at large.
“We are hereby passing vote of no confidence in Awe and SWC members for taking sides. It was Awe and Olatunbosun that allowed those thugs to enter and disrupt the poll.
“The same Jide Awe is now going around to say the election should be cancelled. He even met with Governor of Nasarawa State, Tanko Almakura and APC National Vice Chairman , Pius Akinyelure on Sunday to ask for consensus in favour of Segun Oni.
“It is against the tenets of democracy and APC statute for SWC to be showing open bias. As a result of this, we held a congress today where it was agreed that a caretaker committee, to be led by Hon Kayode Eehunjobi as Chairman and Michael Akinleye as Secretary, be set up.”
When asked whether the congress has the power to remove state SWC members , Aribasoye retorted: “anybody can convene the congress and it is the most powerful organ of the party., so our decision is binding on the party”, he maintained.
ASPIRANTS TACKLE NWC OVER COMMENT ON BOTCHED POLL
Meanwhile, the position canvassed by the National Working Committee of the party that the botched primary will continue where it ended on Saturday , has provoked over 27 members of the party.
In fact, some of the aspirants, led by former Governor Segun Oni and including 26 others, tackled the position of the NWC that the committee that conducted the disrupted election should return to the state and continue the exercise.
At a meeting in Ado Ekiti in reaction to the statement credited to the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi on Ekiti crisis, the aspirants maintained that the ballot cast on Saturday in five local governments before the violence had been rendered invalid.
Present at the parley were: Former Governor Segun Oni, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Hon Opeyemi Bamidele, Hon Bimbo Daramola, Senator Ayo Arise, Senator Gbenga Aluko, Kola Alabi, Muyiwa Olumilua, Dr Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, Debo Ranti Ajayi, and Dr Bayo Orire, among others.
Spokesperson of the aspirants, Dr. Yaya Kolade, said the fact that the results were not counted, collated and announced at the venue, had vitiated the process.
“The whole world could see how they smashed the ballot boxes and displayed them on swampy ground that day. The ballot papers were not counted and we can’t vouch for its credibility any longer.
“By this act, the voting process had been violated and we are requesting for a fresh and new primary. We also request for a new committee to conduct the primary, because many of those in the panel are business associates of an aspirant. Some of them are incurably one sided”.
On the rumour that it was a gang up against Fayemi, Mr. Kola Alabi said: “This is not true, it is a statement that we need transparency, because he who comes to equity must come with clean hands”.
Another aspirant, Debo Ajayi, corrected the impression that the party is divided, saying their demands for transparent primary should not be misinterpreted to mean a rebellion against the party.
ONI, APC CHAIR FIGHT BACK, BLAST PROTESTERS
Former Governor Segun Oni, yesterday blasted the protesters, who purportedly removed the State Chairman of the party, Chief Jide Awe on account of alleged compromise of the primary, describing them as misguided party members.
Oni, in his reaction to the formation of a caretaker committee to replace the SWC , said: “This is a political party and nobody can just wake up and say he wants to remove party leaders without following due process.
“There are processes spelt out for the removal of a State Chairman and other members of his council. Unfortunately, these people re getting desperate and they continue to get desperate and this will lead us nowhere.
“We can’t be coerced , intimidated or repressed by anybody, this party belongs to all of us. They should be careful, so that they won’t lead us into chaos.
“We beg those propelling them, those behind them to take caution in the interest of our party”, he stated.
In his reaction, the embattled state chairman, Awe denied ever working with Fayose to rock the APC’s boat in the governorship poll, saying he remains Fayose’s number one political enemy in the state.
He said: “These are misguided elements who were not well educated about the operations in APC. They re members of our party, but they need to be careful so that we won’t lose our temper.
“How can someone accuse me of working with Fayose ? It was ridiculous for them to have said that, because the Governor himself knows that I will never have any dealing with him.
“All we wanted is fairness in the primary and that we will continue to ask for as leaders of the party. Nobody can intimidate me and let me also state that I am in charge with my members”.
Clearing air on the position of the NWC on the contentious primary, Awe said: “His Excellency, Alhaji Tanko Almakura is on his way to Abuja now. He has not briefed the NWC to be able to give the way forward.
“But let me say, torn ballot papers can’t be counted again in this election. We shall start afresh and that remains our position until Abuja issues official statement”, he stated.
