Aspirants for the Ondo East/Ondo West Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives under the All Progressives Congress have accused the party’s state leadership of allegedly plotting to impose a consensus candidate ahead of the primaries.
The four aspirants — Jibayo Adeyeye, Ade Adeniyi, Bola Fisayo and Michael Ajilo — raised the allegation in a communiqué issued after a meeting held on Thursday, warning that such a move would undermine internal democracy.
A copy of the communiqué was made available to our correspondent today, though the issues raised in it were denied by the All Progressives Congress leadership in the state, reports Saturday PUNCH.
“We are not part of any consensus arrangements leading to the endorsement of any candidate for our federal constituency,” the aspirants said.
They insisted that they had already secured nomination forms and were prepared for a direct primary.
“We have all obtained the Expression of Interest and Nomination form to contest the forthcoming primary Election of our party,” they stated.
The aspirants also called for a transparent process to determine the party’s flagbearer.
It read, “We are aware of the yearnings and aspirations of our constituents concerning the fielding of credible candidates to represent us at the National Assembly… We have offered ourselves as credible alternatives in the APC.”
They further noted ongoing internal consultations among themselves.
“We are discussing amongst ourselves and will come up with a consensus in due course. We release this communique to reassure our constituents that help and indeed renewed hope is on the way,” it further noted.
In response, the Steve Otaloro dismissed the allegations, describing them as unfounded and premature.
Otaloro who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone on Saturday said, “The primary election has not yet been conducted, as the sale of nomination forms to aspirants is still ongoing.
“It is therefore premature for anyone to speak of a consensus at this stage.
“Allegations of attempting to impose a candidate are not only unfounded but also a disservice to leaders who have consistently demonstrated strong democratic credentials.”
He added that the party leadership had been engaging stakeholders across the state.
“The governor has convened quarterly stakeholders’ meetings and has gone the extra mile by consulting party members across the three senatorial districts to gather their inputs on the way forward ahead of the primaries.
“If there were any intention to impose a candidate, such extensive consultations would have been unnecessary,” he added.
Otaloro assured members that internal issues would be resolved through due process.
“We assure all party members that the leadership of the party… will thoroughly address any issues arising from internal disagreements and ensure that due process and fairness prevail,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, our correspondent reports that tensions within the party have reportedly spilled into street-level protests, with some members in Odigbo Local Government Area demonstrating against alleged imposition plans ahead of the primaries.
