Rotimi Akeredolu, Ondo State Governor who hopes to secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for a second term as governor of the state, said he preferred direct primary election.
Mr Akeredolu said contrary to insinuations by the Unity Forum, that he wanted an indirect primary because he was afraid of losing, he was not afraid of any mode of election.
“We’ve not come out as a government that we are opposed to direct primary, neither had Mr Governor expressed aversion for same,” Donald Ojogo, Commissioner for Information in Mr Akeredolu’s administration said. “We are not afraid of any mode of the primary and I’ll want the public to know too that the noise being orchestrated by those in the Unity Forum for the direct primary is to put out a narrative that Mr Governor is opposed to any direct primary.”
Mr Ojogo said Akerodolu’s camp preferred direct primary “so those who are making noise about direct primary are only wasting their time.
“I have to say the truth of the matter is there are no two situations that are the same. Somebody made allusion to the situation in Lagos State.
“Everybody stepped down for a particular aspirant then and it was a two traffic contest between the incumbent governor and the then governor.
“For those who clamour for direct primary, the message to them is that Akeredolu is more prepared for any mode of primary than those who clamour for direct.”
Other aspirants within the APC who favour direct primary include Isaac Kekemeke. Mr Kekemeke believes every aspirant has the right to present themselves to the electorates in a direct election. Ali Olanusi, the leader of the Unity Forum – a faction of the APC in the Ondo State – which had endorsed Mr Olusola Oke as its consensus candidate also favours direct primary.
However, the National Working Committee said it was yet to take a final decision on the mode of primary election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission fixed October 10 for the governorship election in Ondo.
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