Candidates of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the September 3 Ondo governorship primary, have condemned the party’s leadership for upholding the election of Rotimi Akeredolu as its flag bearer in the next governorship election.
At a press conference in Akure on Friday, Olusola Oke, Robert Boroffice and Olusegun Abraham, who had earlier challenged the result of the election, said the party leadership had chosen to cover “corruption and irregularities”.
Speaking on behalf of the aspirants, Mr. Boroffice said the national chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun, overruled a decision supported by the NWC and majority of other party leaders.
“He (Oyegun) rejected the path of truth and upheld the primary election that its process was characterized with corruption,” said Mr. Boroffice, the senator representing Ondo North.
He said they were not deterred by the action of the NWC and the “undemocratic behaviour” of the national chairman of the party, but were encouraged by the genuine desire of their supporters and Ondo people to have a change and end the reign of mis-governance in the state.
According to him, the fraud during the primary election was at variance with the anticorruption tenets of the present APC-led federal government.
“We are determined to liberate our people and no undemocratic decision of a party and its leadership will be allowed to misdirect our attention from the goal,” he said.
He said they were still members of the party and would consult with their supporters to decide the next line of action.
Mr. Oke, while answering questions on his alleged defection to another party, said he was yet to leave the party as he was doing “a wide consultation among the people”.
He said reports claiming that he had joined APGA, Accord or Action Alliance, reflected the wishes of his supporters who would like to see him switch party.
“As at today, we remain members of APC,” Mr. Oke said. “In the days to come we will reach out to our people whose desire is our command to decide the next line of action.”
He also said if he would be defecting to another party, he would make it known to the public.