The All Progressives Congress (APC) has resolved to continue dialogue with all the aspirants that contested for its ticket to contest for the September 21 Ondo governorship election, individually and collectively in order to have a common ground at the main polls.
The APC deputy national publicity secretary, Duro Meseko, stated this while addressing journalists jointly with the Ondo State party chairman, Ade Adetimehin, at the end of the meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) with the aspirants and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa who emerged as the candidate.
The meeting was attended by 15 out of the 16 aspirants that participated in the exercise including Governor Aiyedatiwa, Olusoji Adewale Ehinlanwo, a former member of the House of Assembly; Hon. Olugbenga Omogbemi Edema, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo and Hon. Akinfolarin Mayo Samuel.
Others were Olusola Oke, SAN; Ohunyeye Olamide Felix and Barr. Morayo Lebi, Garvey Oladiran Iyanjan; former Ondo Finance Commissioner Hon. Adewale Akinterinwa, Prof. Francis Adebayo Faduyile, Judith Folakemi Omogoroye, Ifeoluwa Oyedele and Hon. Omo’Oba Okunjimi Odimayo while APC National Vice Chairman (South West) Isaac Kekemeke was absent.
Meseko said it was also agreed that the governor should immediately work towards instituting an inclusive government in state by involving all the other aspirants who could make appointments into his administration.
“It was agreed that the meeting because of the outcome of the primaries, because of complaints that trailed outcome on the primaries by some of the aspirants, there is the need for the party to continue dialogue with all the aspirants individually and collectively in order to be able to have a common ground for the forthcoming election in the state to be able to work together as a united family.
“It was also agreed that the State Governor should immediately work towards instituting what is called a inclusive government in state by involving all the other aspirants, of course most of the aspirants will not be able to participate in his government but they have people that will participate, should allow them to make inputs, he should work with them in order to be able to move the state forward,” he said.
The APC National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, addressing the aspirants before the meeting went closed door, appealed to those aggrieved to put the events and circumstances of the exercise behind them and work for the victory of the party.
“The purpose of this dialogue, this meeting is to appeal. The purpose is not to dwell on what has happened, what has not happen, what is correct, what is not correct. If we dwell on that then it will lead to what we call; ‘too much analysis leads to paralysis. If we are to dwell on that, there are professors, amongst us, lawyers, some are engineers, even the gender is being accommodated. We who are less educated, the controversy will not cover us considering the galaxy of politicians who are here.
“So our own is to appeal to you. We in the party here we are both insiders and outsiders. So when you say something is inside and also outside you have to think about that oxymoron. You have to think about that controversy. We are insiders because it is our party, that is a ruling party in Ondo state and we are the managers of our party in Nigeria.
“So we are an interested party even if it is a local government election. We are outsiders because this state belongs to you, this party belongs to you. I am sure your prayer is that our party, your party should be the ruling party in Ondo state. I think this is our common focus, our party should be the ruling party in Ondo state. It is already a ruling party our prayer is that it should continue to be a ruling party in Ondo State.
So you see, we are here to appeal to you so that we succeed in maintaining this state as APC state.
“I appeal to you, we are all practitioners in this game, in this politics, in this agenda. If you recall, I contested for governorship in 1999, I lost I couldn’t become a governor until after 16 years. I was patient enough. I was praying and I eventually became a governor after 16 sixteen years. So I can’t call you that you are lost aspirants. You are aspirants that will be successful tomorrow,” he added.
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