2019 Polls: APC Crisis Deepens In Ondo, As Youths Protest Over Imposition Of Aspirants

By Jacob Akintunde, Akure

Following the decision of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on aspirants screened for senatorial contest across the country, Ondo APC members on Thursday protested against the decision, describing it as imposition that could spell doom for the party ahead of the 2019 elections.

The members, who voiced out their grievances at the state secretariat in Akure, during a protest led by the Youth Leader of the party in the state, Babalayo Olutayo, slammed the national leadership of the party for not creating a level playing ground for all aspirants.

Speaking during the protest, Babalayo said “we are saying no to imposition, we are saying no to automatic ticket to any aspirants, there must be a room for everybody to accommodate. We don’t want criminality and impunity in our party, we ask for change and this is not the change we asked for.

“When Adams Oshiomhole took the leadership from John-Odigwe Oyegun we taught everything will change for good but things as worse to unbearable condition. Oshiomhole has not really helped us. if you go to the APC constitution, article 20 states clearly that party primary must go direct, indirect and consensus, there is no room for automatic ticket in our constitution and we want to know how the leadership came about the automatic ticket.

“Youths of Ondo State are clamouring now that we don’t want any automatic ticket to any aspirants, the leadership should allow everybody to contest, Ondo state is not a place Oshiomhole can use as testing ground. In view of this, we are saying no. Oshiomhole has betrayed us, the majority have said no to the minority because power belongs to everybody.

“We are coming to organise more rally against this across the state, we are also using this medium to send a signal to Senator Ajayi Boroffice that if he cannot work together with those in the party, he should go to another party because political parties are many in Nigeria. The majority will not leave the party for minority, Boroffice belongs to minority.

“We will not allow any party primary to take place if that is not reverse in Ondo state. We are passing a vote of no confidence on Oshiomhole. We are for Buhari not for Oshiomhole”.