… Says rented crowd received ₦3,000 each

… Alleges governor’s camp of sabotage

A support group within the All Progressives Congress (APC), Democratic Integrity Network, has condemned the protest staged by some women of the party in Ondo State over the National Assembly candidates’ list forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

The group, which hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, described the protest as an orchestrated plot against the party’s leadership and a dangerous distraction from the party’s unity.

Some women and youths of the party had on Monday protested against the list of National Assembly candidates ratified by the NWC.

In a statement issued by the coordinator of the group, Bankole Aminu, the protest was dismissed as a “premeditated charade” that undermines the party’s internal democracy.

According to the coordinator, genuine protests are spontaneous expressions of grievance, not meticulously planned and funded events.

“Protests are, by their very nature, spontaneous, they arise organically from the people when their voices are suppressed. What we witnessed in Ondo State was anything but spontaneous.

“It was organized, it was planned, and worse still, it was funded. We have credible information that each of the women who participated in that protest was given ₦3,000. That is not protest; it is procurement, a rented crowd masquerading as aggrieved party members, he stated”

The group further described the involvement of state officials in the demonstration as regrettable, noting that the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Seun Osamaye, and the APC Women Leader, Oluwayemisi Iji-Ayeola, were seen leading the protesters.

The Democratic Integrity Network emphasised that members of a political party who have grievances should channel such complaints through internal party mechanisms rather than resorting to public protests that embarrass the party and weaken its standing before the electorate.

The group noted that the NWC acted within its constitutional mandate in reviewing the primary election outcomes, adding that the changes made to the candidates’ list were based on credible appeals and evidence of irregularities.

“To bypass all of these and go straight to the streets is not only reckless but also a betrayal of the party that gave you a platform.

“We appeal to all party members to sheathe their swords and work towards the greater good of the party. The enemy is not within the party; the enemy is outside. We must not allow internal squabbles to hand victory to our opponents on a platter of gold.”

While taking a swipe at the camp of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the group accused it of fuelling the crisis rather than working towards resolution.

“Those in the governor’s camp are not helping matters. Instead of working to unite the party, they are busy trying to balkanize it. They are creating factions within factions, pitting members against one another, and undermining the authority of the party’s national leadership,” the group said.

“They are more interested in protecting their personal interests than in the survival and success of the party. This is the tragedy of the Ondo APC today, a leadership that places self-interest above party interest.

“The governor cannot do it alone. He needs competent, loyal, and experienced hands around him, people who understand the dynamics of party politics and who are committed to the growth of the party. Until the best hands come to the fold of the governor, there will be no progress in the party in Ondo State,” the group stated.

The group called on Aiyedatiwa to surround himself with men and women of integrity who would give him sound counsel rather than sycophants who would lead him astray.

“It is sad but true, Ondo State has been on a downward spiral since Aiyedatiwa became governor. The state is retrogressing on all fronts. There is no vision, no direction, and no leadership.

“Instead of focusing on governance and delivering dividends of democracy to the people of Ondo State, the governor and his camp are preoccupied with fighting political battles and undermining the party’s national leadership. This is not leadership, this is abdication of responsibility.”