Primary: Ondo PDP members protest over imposition of candidate, disenfranchisement

Similarly, the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, may be barred from fielding candidates for elections next year.

Meanwhile, the PDP protesters, who invaded the party’s secretariat at Alagbaka, vowed to resist any attempt to nullify or organise another primary for the area, saying the election conducted by the Committee was fair, free and credible.

Armed with placards of various inscription, such as ‘We don’t want imposition in Owo/Ose’, ‘This is PDP, no imposition’, ‘We say no to imposition’, ‘Imposition is demonic’, among others, the protesters vowed to work against the party in the area of the party nullify the result of the election in the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency.

Leader of the protesters and former chairman of the party in the state, Colonel Samuel Awodeyi (retd), said: “We are here to protest against the purportedly cancellation of the primary in Owo/Ose Federal Constituency, this is not acceptable and the result of the primary should stand but the result of any other thing will not be palatable.

“The National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus has said that the era of impunity is gone in the party, so why is this happening again? The election was held under peaceful atmosphere and there was no reason for the cancellation of the election.”

Appealing to the protesters, the PDP state chairman, Chief Clement Faboyede, said the state party secretariat was not aware of the cancellation of election in the area promising the protesters to table the matter before the National Working Committee of the party in order to address the injustice.

Ondo APC may not field candidates

Meanwhile, a reliable source in Akure, Ondo State said the leaders of APC are awaiting the final list of candidates to be made public by the party’s NWC on the October 18 deadline.

Although the faction loyal to the governor, Rotimi Akeredolu already has an insight to the list, it was still hoping that changes could still be made.

The governor expressed anger with the automatic ticket given to the three senators representing the state, Ajayi Boroffice (North), Yele Omogunwa (South) and Tayo Alasoadura (Central).

However, a reliable source said that Senator Omogunwa has been dropped for one of the governor’s loyalist, Lucky Ayedatiwa, who represents the state in the NDDC.

Governor Akeredolu according to party chieftains has vowed not to work or support the candidature of Boroffice, who is returning to the Senate for the third term.

Sources said the APC leadership is weighing the option of supporting another candidate in another party.

Many of the Aspirants in the governor’s camp in the House of Representatives were dropped and replaced with those in the other faction.

A former Speaker of the state House of Assembly and Special adviser to the governor, Mr Victor Olabimtan, who was schemed out told Vanguard that the ripple effects of “the last games, intrigues and highhandedness of the various actors linger.”

Olabimtan, in his reaction, said: “Most of the crises we face today as a party, both in the various states and at the national level are definitely avoidable, if only the various actors could be more selfless and consider the overall interest of the party far above theirs.

On his planned defection, Olabimtan said: “There are two ways in which I could respond to the situation; either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the tribulation into a positive force. I decided to follow the latter.”

APC denies crisis

The party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Alex Kalejaye denied any crisis within the party adding that the APC, under the leadership of the state chairman, Ade Adetimehin “is waxing stronger everyday.”