By Dayo Johnson & Omeiza Ajayi

THE All Progressives Congress, APC, on Thursday, in Abuja jettisoned the recommendations of its Appeal Committee on the conduct of the primary election for the Ondo State governorship election and submitted the name of the winner of the election, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Rotimi-Akeredolu

The Director in-charge of Voter Education and Publicity at the commission, Oluwole Osaze-Uzi confirmed this in a text message to Vanguard last night.
Meanwhile, local government chairmen of the APC in the state also threw their weight behind the Appeal Committee which ordered for a fresh primaries.
The party chairmen, however, denied supporting the primaries that produced Mr Akeredolu on September 3.

While the deadline for the submission of candidates names lapsed yesterday (Thursday), the parties still have till October 12 to withdraw and replace their candidates.
Asked whether INEC had received Akerdolu’s name, Uzi simply said, “yes.”

Vanguard gathered that Mr Akeredolu’s name was submitted to INEC by the National Organising Secretary of the APC, Senator Osita Izunaso.
The name was submitted amid protest by some members of the National Working Committee NWC of the party who had called for the cancellation of the exercise and the conduct of fresh primaries.

While both the National Chairman of the party and the National Secretary, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Mai Mala Buni were said to have kicked against fresh primaries, some members had asked that the party abide by the recommendations of the Helen Bendega-led three member Appeal Committee. While two members of the committee recommended the cancellation of the exercise, the third member had submitted a minority report to the party, asking it to uphold the result of the September 3 primary election.

Presidency wades into APC impasse
Meanwhile indications emerged, yesterday, that the Presidency has decided to intervene in the impasse that has trailed the governorship primaries of the APC in the state.

Almost a week after the Appeal committee submitted its report to the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party it was yet to reach a consensus on the matter.
Akeredolu won the primaries defeating Dr Olusegun Abraham with 34 votes.

His emergence was greeted with criticism as other aspirants including Olusola Oke, Ajayi Boroffice, Olusegun Abraham and Akinwale Akingbade alleged that the delegates’ list was padded in his favour.

Several meetings held by the NWC to resolved the impasse were stalemated as they could not agree on the next line of action.

However, a reliable source within the party in the state hinted that President Muhammadu Buhari has indicated his intention to resolve the impasse.

To this effect, all the stakeholders in the party as regards the last primaries have been invited to Abuja to find a political solution to the matter next week Thursday.

Vanguard gathered that the party leaders disagreed with the recommendations of the report for a fresh primaries because it was no longer possible to hold fresh primaries.

The source said: “It is difficult because the parties would have to agree so that there would be no further rancour after the meeting.”

The source further disclosed that: “The President has been brought in so as to help pacify those, who would disagree with the party’s decision. They could not make any pronouncement because that would be unwise as aggrieved parties could decide to leave the party and that would place the party at a disadvantage.”

The source added that the decision of the NWC to keep mute was to buy time so as to prevent those aspirants who planned to defect to another parties from doing so.

Another source, who pleaded anonymity told Vanguard that “the NWC of the party has now concluded arrangements to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari who is the overall leader of the party.

The source added: The President had to call the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the National Chairman of the party yesterday (Wednesday) and told them that South-West belongs to Tinubu. He said they should allow him have his way in the region.

Ondo NURTW, Igbo endorse Jegede

Meanwhile, candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, Mr Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), yesterday received the support of traders of the Igbo stock and the National Union of Road Transport Association and the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW .

At a meeting with them in Akure, they endorsed his candidature and promised to mobilise their members to support his aspiration.

The chairman of Igbo Spare-part Sellers Association, Akure South branch, Mr. Okey Eze, said the Igbo were surprised and impressed that Jegede could approach them for votes, “because we decided long ago that all our votes are for him.”

On his part, the General Secretary of the NURTW Ajapada branch, Ilesanmi Oluwagbemiga said they believed that Jegede would perform, stressing that the current administration under Governor Olusegun Mimiko did a lot to improve the lot of commercial drivers, and by extension, their families.

In another development, Jegede has promised to sustain the free shuttle initiative of the present government.
Jegede said the gesture is a way of cushioning the effect of the present economic realities on parents as schools resumed.