Why indirect primary cannot hold in Ondo – Iji

By Osagie Otabor, Akure

Nigeria’s Ambassador to Togo, Olusola Iji, has threatened to drag the All Progressives Congress(APC) to court if it adopts the indirect primary mode to elect its governorship candidate in Ondo State without fully adhering to the party’s constitution.

Ambassador Iji, who is also a governorship aspirant in Ondo State, said the indirect primary mode was used in the past without election of delegates as stipulated in the APC constitution.

Iji noted that party executives were converted to delegates in the past against the APC Constitution, which provided that five delegates per ward should be elected alongside statutory delegates to vote at the indirect primary.

He spoke in Akure where he presented his nomination and expression of interest to the state executives of the party headed by Engr. Ade Adetimehin.

Read Also: APC aspirant unveils five point- agenda for Ondo state

Iji, who denied allegations that he planned stepping down for Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, insisted it was unfair for the Governor to seek the party’s ticket for the third consecutive time.

Iji stated that he would not be surprised if Governor Akeredolu resigned from the party as Governor Godwin Obaseki did in Edo State.

According to him: “I will not step down for Akeredolu. For him to express interest that he wants to contest having secured the party’s ticket twice and want to get it again means it is inequitable.

“He ought not to do that if he is a fair minded person. We are in the same party. If he alone can get it three consecutive times what happens to others.

“Akeredolu has exhausted his tenure as a governor. I will never abuse him and I will never criticize him. We are a party that is growing and developing. We are bound to have some of these challenges and crisis. We will get out of the problems. APC is an organisation and individuals will come and go.

“I am very confident that I have the capacity to win the party primary. The last time the Governor supported AA. I won’t be surprised if our Governor do same here as Edo. I won’t be surprised.”