Akpabio to lawmakers: Blame yourselves for losing APC primaries

…As ruling party inaugurates Ekiti campaign council 

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has urged serving senators and members of the House of Representatives who lost the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries to accept the outcome and refrain from blaming party leaders for their defeat.

Akpabio spoke on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the 150-member APC National Campaign Council for the forthcoming Ekiti State governorship election.

BusinessDay reports that the APC’s recent primaries were marred by controversy and discontent, leading to internal rifts and the defection of several unsuccessful aspirants to opposition parties.

The Senate President, who serves as Co-Chairman of the campaign council, said loyalty to the party remained paramount and stressed that the APC must continue to uphold internal democracy.

“When anybody has lost an election on the ground, please don’t expect me, as Chairman of the National Assembly, to come and plead for such a person to be imposed. It simply means the person has lost,” he said.

“I want to plead with my colleagues in both the Senate and the House of Representatives that you should have done your homework well before going into the primaries,” he added.

Akpabio noted that the gathering reflected the commitment of party faithful, saying the calibre of personalities present demonstrated their loyalty to the APC.

According to him, while party stakeholders may have preferences, the leadership of the party, governors and the President retain the constitutional right to make political choices within the framework of the party.

Akpabio, however, cautioned against attempts to pressure party leaders into accommodating aspirants who failed to secure victory at the primaries.

The Senate President expressed confidence in the APC’s chances in the forthcoming elections and called on party members to unite behind the party’s candidates.

In his remarks, Nentawe Yilwatda,
APC National Chairman, praised Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s performance, citing achievements in infrastructure, healthcare, education and social welfare.

He expressed confidence in the governor’s re-election, describing him as one of the party’s best candidates. Yilwatda also highlighted the APC’s nationwide support base and formally inaugurated the campaign council.

In his remarks, Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, who chairs the APC Ekiti Governorship National Campaign Council, expressed confidence that Governor Biodun Oyebanji would secure a landslide re-election victory.