Ondo Aspirants reject automatic tickets

Give Oshiomhole 24 hours to reverse decision

 

Senatorial aspirants of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Ondo state on Wednesday rejected the automatic tickets offered the three incumbent Senators in the state by the National Working Committee(NWC) of the party.

At a news conference addressed by the Senator representing Ondo Central District, Chief Tayo Alasoadura on behalf of other aspirants including Dr Tunji Abayomi(Ondo North) and Mr Lucky Ayedatiwa (Ondo South)  said the purported decision to screen certain contestants in all states of the federation was” shocking and unimaginable”

The forum was also attended by membership of the state party exco led by Ade Adetimehin and leaders of the party

However two of the aspirants, Senators Ajayi Boroffice (North) and Yele Omogunwa(South) who had been cleared alongside Alasoadura(Central) were absent.

Alasoadura said”NWC’s involvement is not only false,but also a shameful act considering the fact that the NWC never sat to decide on an issue as important as the right of Nigerians and indeed members of APC to contest to represent their people at the senate.

“It has also disquietingly portrayed our party as a political platform whose leadership abhors regard for due process and truth”.

Alasoadura pointed out that the NWC did not meet to discuss any matter relating to the screening of candidates,let alone take a decision on same.

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He noted that” we are unaware of any provisions,either in the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria,as amended or the constitution of the APC empowering the Chairman of the party or any other officer to abridge the guaranteed rights of members to aspire to serve or of the people to elect those to represent them.

“Most disturbing is the increasingly audacious impunity associated with the APC leadership under Adams Oshiomhole,there has been a high level of inconsistent standards applied across states if the federation”.

The lawmaker also observed’ manifest unjust and unjustified’ preferential treatment of certain categories of aspirants and political tendencies, among others.

According to him,the NWC must adduce reasons for this dictatorial act capable of breaking the fragile peace existing in the party,stressing that they leave all options open until the manifest error of judgement was corrected.

The Aspirants gave 24 hours ultimatum to the NWC to reverse the order on the purported screening of the three serving senators in the state.

They insisted that they would not accept the emergence of any candidate unless through lawful means,stressing that equal opportunities must be extended to all Aspirants in the race,from whom the party had collected the prescribed fees.

The aggrieved contestants urged the leader of the party, President Muhammadu Buhari and others to intervene and normalize the situation in the interest of the party.