The biggest mass political movement in Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) – the Sunshine Crusaders – under the leadership of Hon. Bola Ilori, came together, again, to review happenings in Ondo State APC ahead of the forthcoming Gubernatorial primaries.
In a communique read by the Assistant Secretary of Akoko South West LGA, Ọkà Akoko, LGA chapter of the party, Comrade Audu Johnbull, the June edition of the monthly delegates meeting of the group held at the BIG HOUSE in Ondo City, with a total of 1,112 delegates loyal to Ilori from 15 local Government Areas in the state in attendance, reiterated and affirmed their belief that victory is achievable by APC in the upcoming November 26 election in the Sunshine State.
The group, which expresses confidence in the success of the party at the election, vowed to stand in the gap as watch-dogs against those whose private interests may scuttle the ambition of taking over the Government House, Alagbaka, in February, 2017.
The group, therefore, reaffirmed its commitment to a free, fair and credible primaries, as the only foundation for which the party can rally together all its political arsenals against the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the next election.
The over 1,000 delegates also warned that party functionaries must resist the temptations of embarking on acts that can lead to chaos, loss of life or property and hijacking of the party primaries, especially by agents and moles from the PDP.
“An open primaries now will seriously compromise the process and could lead to loss of lives and property”.
In view of these issues, the group resolved as follow:
That the party leaders should shun zoning of the gubernatorial position to any particular senatorial district, as it is discriminatory and undemocratic. Let the best candidate emerge from any part of the state.
That the primaries be devoid of manipulation of the delegate register, since it is reported that some of the State Executive leaders are planning same, as a last resort by foisting an inconclusive primaries on the party to be able to pave the way for eventual imposition of their unscrupulous agenda.
That an attempt at tampering or manipulation of the state’s delegate lists would be counter-productive, with dire consequences on the entire party’s State Executive structure and fragile peace in the party.
The group urged the National Secretariat not to accommodate any illicit adjustment of the delegates list.
“Since the Congress Committee did not allow inconclusive positions to participate in the election that elected the state chairman and the Appeal Committee cleverly never annulled successfully concluded congresses, the APC National Headquarters should not allow anybody to tamper with the list submitted to it by the Congress Committee”, the group said.
The Bola Ilori Group group urged the aspirants to support, as a matter of priority, the INEC continous registration exercise as well as the ongoing party registration.
The occasion was graced by some of the aspirants under the party’s banner.
Mr Boye Oyewunmi, an aspirant from Ileoluji /Òkè igbó LGA in Ondo South Senatorial District, emphasised that the leadership recruitment process in Ondo State was faulty and needed to be changed.
He lamented that the state could not boast of any meaningful development nor get any Ondo indigene to national offices.
Oyewunmi promised that, if elected, his tenure would ensure better placement of Ondo State APC members in Federal appointments.
