Ekiti APC governorship primary election inconclusive
*Kayode Fayemi accused of complications in disruption of APC primary election
*Ado-Ekiti source says screening resource may be used to pick torchbearer
*I have no anointed candidate in Ekiti – Tinubu
“We are ready for Fayemi, we have always campaigned for a transparent primary election because we have the people on our side. With the reaction of the people to the attempt to compromise the process, Fayemi now knows he does not have Ekiti people in his pocket,” he said.
Saturday primary election to pick a candidate from among the scores of All Progressives Congress (APC) Aspirants in for the July governorship election in Ekiti State has ended without a winner emerging as the election was declared inconclusive.
This became necessary after thugs, suspected to be working for a minister of the Federal Republic who is also one of the Aspirants, invaded the venue of the election in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, during the exercise and broke the ballot boxes.
As at the time of filing this report, no date has been announced for a repeat of the primary.
The DEFENDER reports that sounds of gunshot were heard across Olukayode Stadium, Ado-Ekiti, venue of the botched primary election, but that it was not clear whether the shots were fired by security personnel or suspected thugs.
Thirty-three Aspirants sought to clinch the party’s ticket for the July election.
The exercise was going on smoothly to the extent that it was becoming clear that one of the three Abuja boys (not a former governor) was appearing to be in the lead but trouble broke out after some agents smashed ballot boxes, saying there were plots to manipulate the exercise.
In the meantime, the Ekiti Rebirth Organization (ERO), the campaign arm of frontline All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, has condemned the disruption of today’s All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary by thugs allegedly loyal to one of the aspirants, saying it represents the highest level of desperation in anybody’s quest for political office.
“When they said they were going to cripple the state, we did not know what they meant was to attempt to forcefully hijack the ticket. Now that we know better, we assure they will meet stiff resistance from our people” says Gboyega Adeoye, ERO spokesperson.
The gubernatorial primary was going on smoothly and the delegates were already casting their votes before thugs allegedly loyal to former governor of the state and current Minster of Mines and Steel, Dr Kayode Fayemi, smashed some ballot boxes leading to the disruption of the process.
The pandemonium that ensued snowballed into serious fracas that caused every delegates scampering for safety and an abrupt seizure in the voting process.
Ekiti State has been under siege preparatory to the primaries as ferocious looking armed mobile policemen that came in company of the Minister, seized all the major streets for days, in reckless display of show of oppression and terror.
Adeoye said, “Dr Kayode Fayemi during his declaration vowed that he was ready to use every underhand means to secure the ticket but our people have come out to say a resounding NO! No amount of intimidation, brigandage and crude display of wealth will stop the people’s will to install a fresh hand in our state.
“We are ready for Fayemi, we have always campaigned for a transparent primary election because we have the people on our side. With the reaction of the people to the attempt to compromise the process, Fayemi now knows he does not have Ekiti people in his pocket,” he said.
Meanwhile, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, National Leader of the party, has declared that all candidates should work hard to clinch the ticket as, according to him, he has no anointed candidate among them.
