By Banji Ayoola
Despite his dissatisfaction with the just concluded governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo State, which he alleged was compromised and skewed in favour of the incumbent Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, an aggrieved aspirant, Hon Isaacs Kekemeke, said that he would not go to court and that he remains still in the party.
The primary, which ended this morning with the declaration of Akeredolu as winner, was meant to be contested by 12 aspirants; but four of them withdrew from the race few hours to the start of the exercise.
In a statement today, he alleged that the advantages and opportunities that incumbency confer were overstretched to constitute the Governor into both an umpire and a contestant.
Kekemeke is a former Secretary to the State Government, a former APC chairman in the state, former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, former Works Commissioner, former member of the state House of Assembly, ex State Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party, and ex chairman of National Examination Council, NECO.
He said in the statement which he signed: “Through the morning of yesterday Monday, 20th July 2020 to the early hours of today Tuesday, 21st July 2020, the APC Governorship primary for Ondo State was concluded.
It is still my conviction that the process leading to the voting was slanted, skewed and compromised to produce a predetermined result.
“The advantages and opportunities that incumbency confer were overstretched to constitute the incumbent into both an umpire and a contestant. But then the delegates have spoken clearly and so be it.
“I wish the winner and our party well. I am satisfied that the Lekeleke movement, our platform for the campaign had been widely adjudged, acknowledged and applauded for running a decent, issue-based, knowledge-driven, strategically unique and inducement-free campaign locally, nationally and even internationally.
“We are delighted by that humble contribution to the development of our democracy.
“The Lekeleke movement that I am privileged to lead remains unwavering and undaunted in its commitment to a politics that prioritizes the welfare of the people and will continue to canvass free Education, quality and affordable health care, jobs and decent livelihood for citizens.
“And now, we will be relentless in our sensitization and education of our people that whatever government they have is their making.
“I have been approached by some persons and groups to run my aspiration on their platforms. Others have advised a challenge of the process in court. My answers; I remain in the All Progressives Congress and I shall not be going to court.
“I will however continue to insist that our Party, the APC must be a party for all its members and not just a party for a privileged few in positions of authority.
“Finally, I wish to thank those few delegates who voted their conscience and for our pro-people Vision.
My thanks goes to the Almighty God for everything, the thousands of members, supporters, admirers, fans of the Lekeleke movement; my inspiration.
“God bless APC. God bless Ondo State. God Bless Nigeria. In God we trust.”
Barely 12 hours to the primary, Kekemeke had on Sunday night complained that the APC was unfair to all the aspirants who were to contest against the Governor.
Specifically, he had deplored the alleged unfair and unjust treatment meted out by the party to the aspirants contesting against the incumbent Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN.
Pointblank, he had told the Governor Yahaya Bello led Ondo State Governorship Primary Election Committee that the party and the committee were inhuman, unfair and unjust in the manner it went about the arrangements for the primary.
It was at a meeting the committee held with the aspirants on Sunday at Heritage Hotel in Akure, where he told the committee that its arrangements fell short of expectations, constituting an invitation to anarchy and chaos which he said a battalion of policemen and soldiers could not contain.
According to him, few hours to the primary, majority of the aspirants did not have the list of delegates, nor did they know the venue of the exercise as there were conflicting and misleading instructions that the exercise would hold first at the wards, then the 18 centres or councils and then at the state capital.
His words: “I have nothing against Governor Akeredolu. I have nothing against the party chairman. But there is everything against this party, because this party appears to be fighting its members. This party needs to reconcile itself with its members.
In 1964, Ronald Reagan was leaving the Democratic Party for the Republican Convention; and he was asked why do you choose to leave? And he said, I am not leaving; the Democratic Party left me.
This party invited us as many as who are willing, to indicate the resolve to contest the election, and said pay so so amount of money and we paid. Come and do this, we did. Come and do that, we did.
I am here. I am from Ese Odo Local Government. It takes three hours to drive. There is a curfew in this town and this state and you are saying that delegates should come and vote tomorrow. Where?
It’s not fair. Let’s be fair. Let’s be Godly. Let’s pursue justice. Let’s be honourable. As I came into this hotel, people were sending me text messages. They attend the place. they have done this.
Everything you are telling me Your Excellency, is what is in WhatsApp. And as an aspirant, as a stakeholder, I am not aware. It’s not done. No. We have blood running in our veins. We are human beings.
Please can we be treated like human beings. We do not deserve less. We are not school boys. Even in school prefects election, there is notice. You brought me here. I sit down here.
There is an election at 8 am. People that are contesting don’t know. First in WhatsApp, 203 wards; the next thing. 18 centres, the next thing, Dome. It’s not fair. We are human beings.
We may not have power today, but we do not, I do not deserve this treatment from this party.
There must be justice. The absence of justice is an invitation to anarchy and chaos which a battalion of policemen and soldierscannot check and control.
It’s not a do or die. That’s the truth. But we shouldn’t be treated like boys because we do not have offices. No. it’s too unfair.
For me, this is an unfair thing. This is an election that is slanted. This is not election. I deserve, and I ask that I be notified with the list of delegates. Let me know the delegates. Thank you Your Excellency.”
