APC Holds Guber Primary As 11 Aspirants Pull Out
Ahead September 22nd governorship election in Osun state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday conducted its gubernatorial primary through direct election, with 11 of 16 members of the State working Committee pulling out of the exercise.
Despite the protest against holding direct primary, the exercise witnessed massive turn out of card carrying members of the party in all the 30 local government areas of the state including Ife East area office.
Though the exercise was relatively peaceful all over the State, but pockets of violence were witnessed in ward 1, of Osogbo local government where the electoral officer was said to been attacked by hoodlums.
Speaking on the exercise in Iwo, Osun West senatorial district, an aspirant, Engr. Adeyemi Oriolowo said he was optimistic that he would emerge victorious and commended the conduct of the election.
Another aspirant, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola commended the security agencies and the electoral committee for carrying out their duties diligently.
Also speaking shortly after exercising his voting rights in Ogbaagba in Olaoluwa local government area of Osun West district, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Rafiu Ishamotu expressed his support for the direct primary option.
The Secretary to the government of Osun state, Alhaji Moshood Adeolu along with Dr. Peter Babalola, the current chairman, Local Service Commission had earlier withdrawn his participation in the exercise.
According to them, they withdrew because the system had been compromised, adding that they are still in the contest.
Meanwhile, 11 of the 16 members of the State Working Committee of the party have faulted the party’s direct method of primary election used for the election in the state.
Addressing newsmen in Ilesa, Osun State, the acting Chairman of the party, Alhaji Isa Azeez Adesiji said the state working committee of the party rejected the governorship primaries declaring the exercise as null and void.
It would be recalled that the state working committee had earlier on Monday announced the suspension of Gboyega Famodun and Alhaji Rasaq Salinsile as Chairman and secretary of the party.
The SWC committee thereafter announced Alhaji Isa Azeez Adesiji and Alhaji Bakare Idera as acting Chairman and acting secretary respectively.
Adesiji flanked by members of state working committee of the party dissociated members of the committee from the primary election carried out on Friday adding that only the two suspended officers of the party were involved in the exercise.
The acting Chairman of APC, Adesiji therefore appeal to the national chairman of the party and other stakeholders of the national working committee to as a matter of urgency do the needful by conducting fresh governorship primary in line with delegate system as done in others before Osun as well as during the presidential primaries in 2014 to pick president Muhammadu Buhari.
He maintained that the direct primaries is a step taken contrary to the expected democratic norms and which may eventually spell doom for the party.
According to him, “we wish to bring to your notice that before the direct primary, all state apparatus were made available to the ‘anointed’ candidate, therefore depriving others of a level playing field.
“In view of all the reasons stated earlier and for record purposes, we all hereby counsel against the adoption of the direct primary being used for July 20th 2018 primary election while we dissociate ourselves from whatever the outcome of governorship primary.
“To us, the governorship primary in Osun APC is hereby rejected by us and therefore null and void, the SWC declared.’’
The result of the election was being compiled as of the time of filling this reports.