Oni To Oyegun: Investigate Why Ekiti Governorship Primary Failed
The former APC National Deputy Chairman (South) and governorship aspirant of the party on Sunday charged Chief Segun Oni Chief John Odigie-Oyegun -led National Working Committee(NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to investigate the circumstances that led to the inconclusive Ekiti Governorship primary.
Oni who gave the advice said the way some people who were discovered to be friends of a particular aspirant were nominated into the Ekiti governorship primary committee put the integrity of the party’s national leadership to question.
Oni spoke in Ifaki Ekiti on Sunday while reacting to violence that marred Saturday’s primary of the party.
The election had got to the fifth local government when some agents raised serious allegations bordered on fraud against the agent to the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi and that led to the disruption of the election.
Oni hailed the Chairman of the Governorship Primary and Nasarawa State governor, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura for doing a thorough job only for his efforts to be allegedly sabotaged by unscrupulous elements around him.
Oni, who described the violence as very unfortunate, said Oyegun must investigate how the Secretary , Hon. Mogaji Aliyu , a known ally of one of the aspirants was made member of the committee.
“Those who have penchant for cheating and fraud structured the primary to favour a particular aspirant. I was the APC National Deputy Chairman for four years, despite I never used my position to influence anything about a primary I was directly involved.
“When you have penchant for fraud or to cheat the system, it makes democracy to look sour and uninteresting.
“How would one feel to get to the field of play and found out that the referee was nominated by one of the teams? We found out that the Secretary of the committee, Aliyu Mogaji was nominated by an aspirant and Governor Al-Makura later got to know about this and dropped him from functioning as the Returning Officer.
“Even the fraud festered to the ranks of the security agencies. I quite appreciate the fact that violence was not the right way but it was caused because of pent up anger.
“That is why the NWC led by Chief Oyegun owes all of us a thorough explanation about how Mogaji found himself in the committee and how to prevent such in future, except that we are hiding under democracy to fool ourselves.
“ Whether I will be governor or not or hold political office in the future, I think enough is enough about people being desperate to get positions , because we must give confidence to our people”.
When asked whether consensus will be best option, Oni said he quite support the idea but such would be difficult to attain with the level the fierce battle has reached.
“I support consensus but now it is impossible , because the perception of the society makes it difficult for politicians to reach compromise .
“Politicians are always under pressure from their admirers and announcing to them that you have stepped down for someone could create bad impression about you, so it will be difficult to achieve at this level”, he added.