Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo state yesterday erupted in a crisis with some members claiming they have impeached the chairman, Isaacs Kekemeke, for his involvement in the endorsement of an aspirant ahead of the governorship primaries slated for August 27.
The group forcefully took over the state secretariat along Oyemekun Road, shutting the gates against Kekemeke and his allies.
They also announced the appointment of Saka Ogunleye as their new chairman.
At the time journalists visited the secretariat, the members were waving placards, protesting the rumoured endorsement of one of the aspirants, Olusegun Abraham, by the national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu.
They alleged that Kekemeke had compromised his position by allowing the “imposition” of a candidate in spite of the agreement that all aspirants should prove their popularity at the primary election.
The rumoured endorsement by Tinubu was disclosed by a governorship aspirant, Tunji Abayomi, in a letter he wrote to Tinubu, challenging the latter’s interference in the democratic process in the state.
Abayomi had warned the former Lagos governor to steer clear of the process of selecting a candidate for the party and allow the people of the state to choose their leaders.
But Tibunu had since replied Abayomi’s letter, saying that he had the right to support any aspirant for the ticket of Ondo APC governorship candidate.
The protest yesterday was a reaction to the development, as the protesters vowed to resist any imposition of a candidate on the party.
Its coordinator, Akin Famadenuyi, who protested the imposition in s statement, said the leaders of the party should not take away the rights of the people of his constituency the right to reduce the next governor by zoning it to another.
