Ahead of its primary election for the October 10 governorship election in Ondo State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) will today 17 July, 2020 inaugurate two committees for the exercise.
The committees are to be inaugurated by the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the party, Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State.
- Ondo poll: Why Tinubu’s loyalist, Abraham, was disqualified
- What we are doing for APC victory in Edo, Ondo — Sen Yusuf
They are the primary election and appeal committees.
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Yekini Nabena, in a statement on Thursday, said Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi State was the chairman of the party’s primary election committee, which consisted of nine members, with Olorogun O’tega Emerhor as secretary.
Also, the nine-member primary election appeal committee is to be headed by Emperor Chris Baywood Ibe with Arch. Abdulmimuni Okara as secretary.
The APC primary poll for Ondo State is slated for Monday.
Panel quashes Tinubu’s ally’s disqualification
Meanwhile, the screening appeal panel set up by the party has quashed the disqualification of Abraham Olusegun, an ally of the National Leader of the party, Bola Tinubu.
Daily Trust exclusively reported last week that Olusegun was disqualified by the Tijani Tumsa-led screening committee over “failure to meet up with the requirements set by the party”.
But the appeal committee, led by Umar Lawan-Kareto, refused to uphold the screening committee’s report which disqualified Olusegun.
The panel cleared all the 12 aspirants jostling for party’s ticket.
Those cleared are; Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu, Joseph Olusola, Odimayo Okunjemi, Owolabi Adelami, Kekemeke Isaacs, Olusola Oke, Ifeoluwa Oyedele, Olajumoke Anifowoshe, Awodeyi Akinsehinwa, Adetula Olubukola, Abraham Olusegun and Nathaniel Adojutelega.
‘We want direct primary’
Also Thursday, the Coalition of APC Support Groups (CASG) asked the national leadership of the party to adopt direct primary to elect the party’s candidate for the October 10, governorship election in Ondo State.
The coalition, in a statement signed by its Chairman (South), Rev. Adebisi Abraham, said the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party had decided in 2018 that anywhere there were disagreements and litigations, the direct primary option should be adopted.
In a related development, top leaders of the party yesterday met in Abuja, to perfect strategies that would earn the party victory in the September 19 governorship election in Edo State.
The APC leaders under the umbrella of Campaign Monitoring Committee, who held a closed-door meeting at the party’s national secretariat, are; Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state who doubles as the Deputy Chairman of the National Campaign Council; Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege and the party’s candidate for the election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu among others.
However, those at the meeting all declined to speak with newsmen and zoomed off.
But our correspondent gathered from sources at the party’s national secretariat that the meeting deliberated on how to run an effective campaign and defeat the PDP and its candidate, Governor Godwin Obaseki.
