Ogun APC adopts consensus for primaries as Amosun announces senatorial ambition

Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday, resolved to adopt consensus primaries to select candidates for the 2019 elections.
The decision was reached at a stakeholders’ meeting held in Abeokuta where it was also agreed that the party would resort to direct primaries where consensus candidates could not emerge.
The resolve followed a motion by Hon. Yinka Mafe, the Majority Leader of the House of Assembly and supported by the Chairman of Yewa-North Local Government Area, Mr Kayode Abiola.
The motion, which came after protracted discussion, was, thereafter, unanimously adopted by the stakeholders.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun, who was at the meeting, seized the opportunity to formally declare his intention to run for Ogun Central Senatorial District seat.
Senator Lanre Tejuosho currently represents the district in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.
On the selection process, the governor said elders and leaders of the party in the various councils would meet with the aspirants before deciding on consensus candidates.
Amosun added that he would on Thursday personally meet with governorship aspirants from Ogun West Senatorial District to agree on a consensus governorship candidate for the party.
The party’s ticket for the governorship seat may have been zoned to Ogun West District.
In his opening remarks, the state Chairman of the party, Chief Derin Adebiyi, noted that the meeting was in conformity with the resolution of APC’s National Executive Council.
The national body had resolved that state chapters of the party were to determine their mode of primaries after a stakeholders’  meeting.
On his part, Tejuosho apologised to the party over his earlier defection to the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The apology followed a threat by Adebiyi to send him out of the meeting if he failed to officially retract his action and apologise to the party.
Tejuosho thereafter said: “I apologise to our APC members who feel offended  because I expressed myself.’’
With the declaration, Amosun has laid to rest the speculation surrounding his interest in the senatorial seat.
He was a Senator on the platform of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) between 2003 and 2007.
At the meeting , he also debunked claims that he was afraid of direct primaries.
However, a former governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, was conspicuously absent at the meeting, although some of his notable associates, including Senator Adegbenga Kaka, Senator Akin Odunsi, Senator Gbenga Obadara, Prince Segun Adesegun and Hon. Adekunle Adeyemi, were present.
Amosun said: “By the benevolence of God, I want to say I am running for Senate in 2019”.
The governor said it was important for the state chapter of APC to consolidate on its performance and take a position, following the directive from the National Executive Committee (NEC).
He declared that it was untrue that governors elected on APC platform, including himself, were afraid of direct primaries.
Amosun noted that he would have preferred direct primaries as the mode in picking the party’s candidates if the consensus option failed.
He said: “APC in Ogun State has come to stay. Before we were at the lower ebbs, we were at the doldrums but today we are waxing stronger. I have my own opinion as regards the modality that should be adopted.
“But as a democrat, I would allow input from everybody. But it is important that we have preponderance of opinions. And the majority will have their way and minority will have their say.
“Whatever decision taken, I will abide by it. I have heard them saying governors are afraid of direct primaries. Let us do direct primaries, we are not afraid in Ogun State.
Amosun, who revealed that most APC governors agreed on indirect primaries during their meeting in Abuja, threatened to resist any attempt to breach the membership register of the party.
He said: “At the Governors Forum, we met and we all agreed. All of us agreed on indirect primaries, except for few states. Everybody knows that we are for President Muhammadu Buhari. Apart from Katsina State, the next state is Ogun. We are for Buhari all the way.
“For us in Ogun State, we are not afraid of any mode of primaries. But I am appealing, let us opt for direct primaries; that is in areas where consensus fails.”
During the meeting, Kaka and Adesegun, who were former deputy governors, called for consensus that would reflect the wishes of all without marginalizing those jostling for the governorship ticket from Ogun East.
Kaka later declined to move a motion for adoption of the meeting’s resolution, citing apparent attempt to short-change his zone (Ogun East).