Ondo 2016: More pressure on Oke to ditch the APC

*History Has Come To Repeat Itself In Ondo, Says AA Chieftain

Indications have emerged that the former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2012 election and third runner-up in the September 3 primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Chief Olusola Oke will, more likely than never, dump APC for a new party. Though Oke was mute on this yesterday, while on a personality programme on Adaba FM radio station in Akure, he affirmed that he was among those whom God has ordained to sack the ruling PDP in the state. He premised his argument on the fact that those aspirants who redressed the primary, which produced Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu as the winner due to “padded” delegate list and foul means, await the unbiased report of the appeal committee in Abuja, expressing premonitions on the unnecessary delay. According to him, “I don’t like to preempt the outcome of any process. That is why for almost two weeks running, I have not issued any statement or commented on it.”

The aggrieved aspirant, who emerged third in the controversial primary with 74 votes difference to winner, Akeredolu, who polled 669 votes, said, “the party is entitled to cover up corruption and I am also entitled to react to the covering of corruption. But since that has not been done, let me assume in the absence of that, that they are reasonable, they are zero-tolerant to corruption and they are going to reject it.

I don’t want to pre-emptively give any opinion about how and what will happen.” Without mincing words, Oke declared, “my worry is about the delay because they have a prescribed period,” the Appeal Committee was expected to deliver it’s report, lamenting that it has lapsed for more than five days. However, he expressed confidence in the appeal committee to do justice to the over 350 fake delegates that were injected fraudulently into the list, insisting that injustice must not be condoned in the progressive camp. His words: “I don’t believe they will be lawless, therefore, we are looking up to Saturday, Sunday and not beyond Monday for them to make a position known.”

The aspirant, whom many of his supporters and loyalists had rumoured round town to have dumped the APC for the All Progressives Grand Alliance to realize his aspiration, pledged that he “would give appropriate reaction and action to the position.” Though he debunked the rumour and pledged to be a loyal, committed and law abiding member of the APC, which he said, is also a corruption free and justice-minded party in the nation.

On the rumoured defection, he added that if the people should mount pressure on him to ditch the APC for another party, “If I determine that that is their desire, I will not disappoint the people of Ondo State.” He assured the people of the state that the political cloud would soon give way for light to shine on the political scene, saying he has entered into a covenant with the masses to give them good governance and fulfill the “Roadmap to prosperity” initiated by late Olusegun Agagu.

“I have a pact and covenant with you that I will not be silent on your predicaments, and on the problems of Ondo State, I will never relent. We shall give it all the effort it requires to ensure laudable transformation in the state. “Till we finish this election, I am with you and I am assuring you too that I will never leave you. God has promised that he would break your yokes and restore our freedom; and I am one of those whom God will use.

I have the belief that it is done,” he said. Oke, who underlined that he had no grouse with Akeredolu but the process that made him the APC flagbearer, added that they often exchange banters whenever they met and would always remain friends though they go different ways before and after the November governorship election.

Meanwhile, an Action Alliance (AA) party chieftain in Ondo State, The Guardian gathered yesterday, had boasted that they would shock the whole state to its roots on whom the party would field as the candidate of the party in the November 26 governorship election.

The chieftain, who pleaded anonymity, declared confidently that the APC at the National level is scheming to delay the report so as to dash all hopes of any of the three top APC contenders decamping to another party. “It is their Achilles Heels, and this will tremendously be to our advantage politically as Governor Mimiko left the ruling PDP for Labor Party (LP), an insignificant party in 2006. History has come to repeat itself in Ondo State,” he said.