The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Vice Chairman, South-West, Chief Pius Akinyelure has explained how Chief John Odigie-Oyegun allegedly imposed Chief Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) as Ondo State party governorship candidate.
Also involved in the alleged manipulations which ensured Akeredolu’s emergence and subsequent submission of his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), were APC national Secretary and Organising Secretary, Mai Mala Buni and Senator Osita Izunaso respectively.
Akinyelure, who fingered the trio as persons behind the act that at the moment is threatening to tear APC apart in a statement, also accused them of using the party National Working Committee (NWC) meetings to arrogate powers and unilaterally make resolutions that their offices did not give them the power to make.
He explained in the statement that as many as three delegates’ lists were in circulation at some point for Ondo State primary election after the first list was tampered with and that Izunaso single-handedly removed, added or replaced names on the initial list circulated to the party’s 24 aspirants, leading to the emergence of a second list that was tailored to favour Akeredolu.
According to him, Oyegun and Buni were in support of Izunaso’s action and ensured they suppressed other members of the NWC who opposed the list because it conflicted with the party’s rules.
Part of the statement read, “The National Organising Secretary confirmed to the NWC meeting of Monday September 19, 2016 that he actually received objections from some of the aspirants as to the delegates’ list. Then he unilaterally made the adjustments as he deemed fit.
“It is emphasised that the National Organising Secretary performed these adjustments without recourse or reference to the NWC. The NWC was not appraised of his actions before the primary. The National Organising Secretary then issued this altered list to the Primary Election Committee for use in the conduct of the election.
“This altered list became available to some of the aspirants in the early hours of the election day (September 3, 2016). When the election process was about to commence, Chief Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and three other aspirants protested and raised objections as to the delegates’ list to the election committee.
“However, the committee members could not address it as it was not within their competence to do so. They went ahead with the conduct of the election. After the declaration of the results of the election by the election committee, three aspirants petitioned the Election Appeal Committee, alleging discrepancies and the alteration of the delegates’ list provided to them by the election committee and other irregularities.
“Consequent on the above, the NWC of the party received both the Election Committee and the Election Appeal Committee’s reports, which were tabled at the NWC meeting of Monday, September 19, 2016.
He said Oyegun, Buni and Izunaso blindsided the other members to submit Akeredolu’s name in spite of a six to five votes by the NWC to submit the name of an interim substitute to INEC as place holder until a fresh primary was conducted.
By Ebere Ndukwu …
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