Ahead of the November 16th governorship election in Ondo State, a socio-political group, Ondo Elite, has called on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to bring all stakeholders on board rather than causing division within the chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
According to the group, any attempt by Governor Aiyedatiwa to tamper with the political structure in the state might spell doom for the party ahead of the poll.
The group, in a statement signed by its General Secretary, Yemi Oladiran, a copy which was made available to journalists on Friday in Akure said the tension is gradually brewing in the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over a plan by some section to oust and replace the party leadership to suit their candidate in the next election.
Oladiran, however, warned against interfering in the affairs of the party saying those planning to dissolve the APC executive lack the power to constitute or dissolve its state executive.
Speaking on the forthcoming party’s primaries in the state, the group said unless those behind the plot retrace their steps, APC might be risking a repeat of the setbacks it suffered in Zamfara in the last general election.
They, however, urged the state governor, Aiyedatiwa to unite the party in order not to lose the state to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
“Dissolving the state executive of the party will negate the agreement Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa signed with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the crisis that engulfed the state over the friction between late governor Rotimi Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa.
“What we are guiding against is the repeat of what happened in Zamfara and we cannot allow this to happen in Ondo state because we play the game by the rules and guided by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Anything we do in the party is guided by the constitution of the APC. I can assure you that Ondo will not allow a repeat of Zamfara’s treatment. We must go into the next election as one united family.
“No one can truncate a moving train that is moving at a speed of development, like the one we are having in Ondo. The understanding between the executive members of Ondo APC and the government is cordial and we should go into this election as one.
“We’re proud of the leadership of the state chairman, Ade Adetimehin. He has been able to stabilise the party since he became the chairman of the party. Nobody changes a winning team, the present leadership has two more years to complete its term. They should be allowed to usher in a new governor after the November election.
“Tampering with the present leadership in the state party or the EXCO, would be counterproductive and spell doom for the party,” the group said.
Alex Kalejaye, the APC Publicity Secretary in Ondo state, who also reacted to the development said “It is unimaginable that anyone would contemplate dissolution of the structures of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State in an election year.
“The executive committee of the chapter has never been in crisis nor in disagreement of whatever dimension. The Ade Adetimehin-led executive committee has rather built the chapter to an enviable and appealing state that now attracts gladiators from other political parties.
“Political observers will attest that the Ondo APC executive committee is arguably one of the most organised and disciplined in the entire APC family across the country.”
