Ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries in Ondo state, prominent leaders in the state have urged the leadership of the party to back Olusola Oke as the party flag bearer.
Speaking on behalf of the leaders i in Lagos state, Dr Benson Enikuomehin appealed to the leadership of the party to support Ilaje which is in Ondo South.
Dr Enikuomehin stated that the incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who is also an Ilaje man and every other aspirant are eminently qualified said out of all the aspirants Oke would grant APC an easy inroad to the seat of power.
He stated that Ilaje local government area made the state to be oil producing state, adding that even with that, there would be need to go for persuasion and moral adjuration to win the support of other local government areas of the state.
He said Aiyedatiwa had constitutional constraint due to the provision of the constitution that would not allow him another term in office.
He said: ”Aiyedatiwa is thrown up by providence. He was Deputy Governor and you know in a plane, you have a pilot and a co-pilot so that if one sleeps, the other takes over so that the plane will not crash.
“So when his boss left the scene. Are we going to say that he should not show interest? I will say no. But, when you look at your people, that is why sacrifice comes in. Will my decision be for the majority or minority? If your decision is not for majority but it will benefit you, it will not make sense for me to do away with interest of the majority.
“The leadership of the party should look at the larger perceptive. Assuming the eight years will give him (the Governor) to stay in the saddle, that will be understandable as it were.
“But, as at now, Ondo South members are yearning for their unbroken eight years in the state and they are not negotiating for it.”
He further stated: “From my interaction with the people, they are saying any party that short-changed them, they will vote against the party.
“I wish that APC will look at its house and look well in order not to undermine Ondo South because the population of Ondo South is thick. In fact, in their voting strength it is enormous. The central has the higher percentage but voting strength is not to be undermined.”
He, however, said aside the fact that Oke has contested the governorship election in the past, he has the antecedent and background to win the election for the party
“Olusola Oke is not bereaved of wherewithal to finance the campaign. He has not held any Government office before,” saying he has the integrity that speaks for him.
“As at now, the zoning favours Ondo South. In APC, the battlefield is going to be tortuous because it is going to be direct primary.
“There is banana peel on the ground and PDP is watching. Even though they are sleeping, they are not dead. PDP is not a toy party and we must be careful of the sentiment of the people,” he stated.
APC had already settled for the direct method of voting for its Ondo state governorship Primaries slated for April 20.
At the close of work on Wednesday which was the deadline for the purchase of the forms, no fewer than 16 aspirants picked the Nomination and Expression of Interest forms ahead of the primary election.
It was gathered that the Dr Abdullahi Ganduje-led National Working Committee (NWC) had written to notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Deputy National Organizing Secretary of the party, Nze Chidi Duru also confirmed the development on Wednesday night.
