APC NWC Screened Aspirants: Ondo APC Gives 24hours Ultimatum To Oshiomole To Reverse It

By Niyi Olutunde, Akure

Following the decision of the National Working Committee, NWC of the All Progressives Congress, APC on aspirants screened for senatorial contest across all the states, the party in Ondo state has given 24hours ultimatum to the leadership of the party to reverse it decision.

It would be recalled that the NWC of the party on Tuesday cleared unopposed the three incumbents senators from Ondo State, Ajayi Boroffice (Ondo North), Tayo Alasoadura (Ondo Central) and Yele Omogunwa (Ondo South) as candidates and disqualified all aspirants believed to be preferred candidates of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for the primaries from Ondo state ahead of the 2019 general elections.

But in a press statement which was signed by Senator Tayo Alasoadura, Dr. Tunji Abayomi and Mr. Lucky Ayedatiwa and made available to journalists on Wednesday rejected the decision of the NWC on the issue.

While addressing journalists in Akure, the Senator representing Ondo Central, Tayo Alasoadura said, “We use this medium to put the NWC, NEC and the leaders of the party on notice that the candidates of the party in Ondo state, purportedly screened out without due regards to the extant laws, intend to uphold the tradition for which our dear state is reputed.

“We will never accept the emergence of any candidate unless through lawful means, equal opportunities must be extended to all aspirants in the race from whom the party has collected the prescribed fees.

“Section 20 of the APC constitution prescribes the mode of primary nomination under the party that is through consensus, direct or indirect primary elections. Neither the APC constitution nor the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria allows any committee or any individual, regardless of his importance, to dictate to the people on who will be their representatives or how they will emerge”.

While condemning the NWC decision on screened aspirants, Dr Abayomi also said, “There is nothing like automatic ticket in a constitutionalized democracy it does not exist and that is the problem of the current leadership of the party. That is why Adams Oshiomole must resign because he is not a straight and proper person. He does not have intellectual capacity to understand the issue, he does not the wisdom to settle differences, he does not have the strength to take the right decision and he does not have the tolerance to response to the challenges and views.

“In order not to kill APC, Adams Oshiomole must resign. We will stand up for justice and constitution of law, there was no NWC that sat and if they sat they should give us the minutes of their decision. Oshiomole is unsuitable to lead APC that is clamouring for change. I have written to him and that is why he has just 24hours to reverse his decision and if he fails, he will see the show of Ondo state people, if he fails to do what is right we will do what is right by ourselves”.