The All Progressives Congress (APC), Ekiti State chapter has drawn the ire of the chairmanship and councillorship aspirants as well as the delegates over the sudden postponement of the party’s primary slated for Saturday, September 28.
Citing insecurity as the reason, the APC said it postponed the council primary in Ado and Ikole Local Councils, which angered the aspirants and delegates and gave room for alleged plot to impose some preferred chairmanship and councillorship aspirants.
The State Independent Electoral Commission will conduct the elections by December 7, 2019.
Speaking with journalists in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, the party’s spokesperson, Hon. Ade Ajayi, said that a new date would be communicated to all stakeholders soon.
Miffed by the postponement, some aspirants, supporters and their delegates have accused the party of plotting to impose a particular candidate on the people.
Two of the aspirants, who spoke to newsmen at the venue of the primary — Alhaji Tajudeen Gidado and Mrs Tosin Aluko — accused the leadership of the party of being undemocratic, warning that they would resist any imposition.
Mrs Aluko lamented that the leadership of the party were determined to impose a candidate on them.
“I just heard it here now that the election has been postponed. I don’t want to believe it because Governor Kayode Fayemi issued a statement last week that there would be primary election and that there won’t be any imposition.
“We have been waiting here since morning for the primary. Some people are with the Deputy Chairman of the party now, Sola Elesin. They don’t want the election to hold because of the plan they have to impose one of us as the candidate.
“I don’t know why they are doing this. They should allow people to make their choice because this is democracy. They are doing this because they want to impose someone. But the governor they are dropping his name has come out to say he has no preferred candidate,” she said.
One of the delegates, Mr Adeyeye Kayode, said: “We don’t know why they are postponing the election. The candidates and delegates are here and everywhere is peaceful.
“We have not seen anybody except the police. They told us that they are fully prepared for the election. We are now thinking that what we heard that there won’t be election in Ado Ekiti is coming to pass. We are afraid that if we leave here now they might come around 4 pm and do kangaroo election. We should allow people to participate, that is why it is democracy.”
An agent of one of the aspirants, Babatunde Adesanmi, said: “As far as we are concerned, we are not aware, you are just telling us. You people can see that the atmosphere here is conducive for any election. I don’t see any reason for the postponement.
“The only reason should be if the materials are not available. That is the only reason or if the atmosphere is not conducive, but as you can see, the police are here to maintain peace already.”