Protest, Withdrawal of Aspirants, Disrupt Ekiti APC Primary

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Ekiti State on Thursday, January 27, was disrupted by protests and withdrawal of seven aspirants who alleged unfair constitution of the primary election committee.

A video circulating online showed party members protesting in front of APC secretariat in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, expressing their dissatisfaction with members of the committee, insinuating that they were unduly selected to favour one of the aspirants, a former SSG, Biodun Oyebanji, who is said to be governor Fayemi’s anointed candidate.

The aspirants who withdrew from the exercise include Kayode Mojo, Demola Popoola, Femi Bamisile, Bamidele Faparusi, Dayo Adeyeye, Opeyemi Bamidele and Afolabi Oluwasola.

In a statement released on Thursday, the aspirants also alleged that members of the primary election committee are made up of loyalists of the governor, noting that there was no way the exercise would be fair with the set of people sitting in the committee.

The statement reads in part, “The seven aspirants herein received with rude shock and dismay the purported list of local government election committee and ward election committee made up solely by party members and political appointees that had before now openly endorsed the candidacy of Biodun Oyebanji the immediate past secretary to the state government.

“It is on record that the government of Governor Kayode Fayemi has given its unwavering support to the candidacy of Biodun Oyebanji, it is common knowledge that the Governor and most appointees of the governor are openly rooting for and supporting Biodun Oyebanji’s aspiration to become the flag bearer of our great party.

“What is more disturbing is the fact that a simple glance at the names of the persons appointed as members of both committees would reveal that it is made up of appointees of government who are all supporters of a candidate in the primary election they are appointed to superintend on.”

The aspirants asked the party to reconstitute the primary election committees across the state to ensure a free and fair exercise, even as they restated their loyalty and commitment to the party’s affairs.

READ ALSO: Ekiti 2022: APC Sets Up Primary Election Committee

“The seven candidates herein are loyal, faithful and committed party members who are sincerely concerned about the chances of the party in the forthcoming 2022 governorship election where imposition is allowed to override a democratic primary election for determining its flag bearer.

“We request  that both the local government election committee and ward election committee which was constituted on the list already in circulation be disbanded and replaced with names that would reinforce internal democracy and uphold the aims and objectives of the party.”

In response, the Ekiti APC leadership said issues bordering on ensuring fairness in the exercise had earlier been raised by aggrieved aspirants and were resolved, leading to each of the aspirants being given the opportunity to nominate 20 people to be part of the process.

The state party authority further stated that each of the aspirants took the advantage to nominate their electorate officers which were added to the existing arrangement in local governments and wards across the state.