President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday in Akure boosted the chances of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State governorship election when he led top members of the party to campaign for their candidate Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN. Buhari urged the party to close ranks to deliver the state. The election holds on November 26.
Staunch party leader Bola Tinubu was conspicuously absent fuelling tension that all is still not well within the party top oligarchs.
He charged party members in the state to work as one in obvious reference to the acrimony raised by the September 3 governorship primary contested by 22 aspirants and won by Mr. Akeredolu. According to Buhari the primary was “transparent, credible, free and fair”.
The controversy that trailed the primary election had factionalised the party even at national level. One of the aggrieved persons, Chief Olusola Oke, has already joined the Alliance for Democracy (AD) with the runner-up, Mr. Segun Abraham, contesting the exercise at the law court.
The outcome of that primary brought grave schism among members of the party in the state and among members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
However, President Buhari tried to douse tension when he commended the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party and the Electoral Committee headed by Governor of Jigawa State, Badaru Abubakar .
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, National Chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun and the Deputy Speaker House of Representatives, Hon. Yusuf Lasun urged the people of the state to vote for Akeredolu. Others dignitaries at the rally included the Chairman of the APC National Campaign Committee, Governor of Plateau, Simon Lalong, Governors of Ogun, Ibikunle Amosun, Kano, Abdullahi Ganduje, Kogi, Yahaya Bello, Edo, Godwin Obaseki, Imo, Rochas Okorocha and Nasarawa, Tanko Al-Mukura.
Also present were former Governors, Edo, Adams Oshiomole; Osun, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Senator Isiaka Adeleke, Gbenga Ogunniya, Hon. Kolawole Babatunde, Afe Olowokere, Bode Ayorinde, Friday Olemija, Jumoke Anifowose, Tokunbo Ajasin, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, Minister of solid mineral, Mr. Kayode Fayemi, Information, Lai Muhammed, Niger Delta (state) Cladius Daramola, Health, Isaac Adewole, Segun Oni, Chief Paul Akinyelure, and Joshua Dariye.
