Rather than thaw, the crisis rocking the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), leading to the ‘suspension’ of the chairman, Isaacs Kekemeke, has deepened.
In a petition to the South-West leadership of the party, Kekemeke described Governor Rotimi Akeredolu as ‘enemy of the party’.
He also fingered Akeredolu as being the hand manipulating trouble makers against him in the party.
Recently, Kekemeke was controversially suspended as chairman by some members of the state executive committee over allegations of anti-party activities and dereliction of duty.
His deputy, Ade Adetimehin, was appointed to act as chairman, pending the conclusion of work by an investigative panel set up to probe the allegations against him.
But, Kekemeke would have none of that, insisting that he remains the chairman.
To him, Akeredolu has refused to put behind him the politics and intrigues surrounding his emergence as the governorship candidate during the party primaries.
Akeredolu eventually won the November 26 election.
It is generally believed Kekemeke did not support Akeredolu’s ambition to be governor.
Since he was sworn in as governor on February 24, it is believed that Akeredolu has not been too friendly with him.
Kekemeke, a former lawmaker and commissioner in the Sunshine State, alleged that Akeredolu had been using government machinery to vilify those who were perceived not to be in his camp during the build up to the election.
“Clearly, this song with its familiar and cacophonic tune was scripted by Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, Governor of Ondo State, who has refused to break away from the bitterness and vestige of the Ondo State APC gubernatorial primary election,” he asserted.
“He has therefore deployed state machinery to vilify perceived enemies, resulting in this latest choreography with a macabre sense of humour.”
Kekemeke in the petition maintained that he remained the chairman of the party in the state, describing the action of some members of the state executive calling for his removal as “unconstitutional and most unconscionable.”
“It must be noted, however, that no meeting of the State Executive Committee was ever called by either the State Chairman or the State Working Committee; neither was there a complaint nor petition by any member against the Chairman or any other officer received; to necessitate the invoking of the disciplinary procedure as provided for by Article 21(B) of the APC Constitution,” he said.
“We are, however, baffled that such a respected and respectable organ of our party created by the Constitution for noble ends, could be wrongly and maliciously appropriated by a few misguided and unqualified elements without regards to the clear constitutional requirements of the mode and composition of that organ.
“And most shockingly, with the active connivance of the State Governor, who ought to know better, but is only bent on re-enacting his position immediately before the Ondo State APC gubernatorial primary election”.
