BY GBENGA ARIYIBI
Scores of aggrieved members of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in Ekiti State Monday trooped to the streets calling for the release of results of the party primaries conducted  on Monday and Thursday last week.

The party has withhold the results of the primaries contested by the different aspirants for the elective positions, a development which has caused tension and bad blood with members of the party.

The protesters led by a group operating under the aegis of Intergity Group under the chairman, Alhaji Adedipe Isiaka, lamented that the party has not deem it fit to release the results of its primaries few days after the exercise.

The ACN members who  had commenced their action at the New Governor’s  Office, but were denied entrance from entering the office by stern looking security operators.

The protesters chanting anti-Fayemi’s slogans, displayed placards with various inscriptions, some of which read thus; Dr Fayemi, speak now; Don’t change the progressive culture. It means a lot to the progressives; ACN in Ekiti, Ekiti people are watching. Ojudu is a spoiler! Imposition will break Ekiti. Ekiti ACN please release our results.

Speaking with newsmen, the chairman of the group, noted that their action was informed by the rumour that the party had submitted names of party candidates to the Independent National electoral Commission, INEC, without recourse to the outcome of the primaries election results.

His words, “One week after the conduct of the elections, the party has not made public the results and the winners, a development which had triggered series of protests among party faithful in the state.

“We supported Governor fayemi to fight injustice for three and a half years and it would be unheard of that the man who claimed to be a crusader of justice is now perpetrating injustice against his party. We heard the rumour that the party leadership of the party has submitted some names to the INEC as candidates of the party which does not correlate with the results of the primaries elections.”

Adedipe who  reeled out the results of all primaries elections in Ekiti Central Senatorial District and Ado-Ekiti-Irepodun/Ifelodun Federal Constituency I. in the results collated in Efon, Ijero and Ekiti West local governments among the five local governments in the Ekiti Central Senatorial District, Opeyemi Bamidele won 19 wards, Femi Ojudu won 7 wards, Bode Ola 2 wards and Dele Alake 1 ward. For the House of Representatives, Jimoh Ibrahim won 14 wards, Churchill Adedipe 4, Dele afolabi won 2 wards and Abayomi akogun won 1 ward.

In his reaction, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Mr , Mojeed Jamiu  said  the issue of primaries  was  purely a party affair and that  the governor had no hand in the emergence of candidates in the primaries.

“The governor as a loyal party man does not interfere in party matters. The issue is being handled at party level. And as a loyal party member they should not do anything that could lead to the breach of public peace and break down of law and order as everything is being done at party level to ensure an amicable resolution of the challenges thrown up by the conduct of the primaries.”