By; OLADELE ADEDAYO, Ado-Ekiti.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has congratulated Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) for his victory at the weekend APC governorship primaries in Ondo State.
It noted that the rancour-free exercise demonstrates oneness of spirit among party leadership, the aspirants and members, stressing that such conduct signals victory over a “bitterly divided rival PDP” in the November governorship election.
Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said in statement on Sunday that Akeredolu’s victory was a consolidation of the rancour-free presidential primaries that produced President Muhammadu Buhari to be followed by Kogi State primaries that produced the late Prince Audu Abubakar.
He praised the national leadership of the party for setting records in transparent democratic electoral process and urged other political parties to emulate APC to strengthen the practice of democracy in line with modern trends in developed democracies around the world.
Asking the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to prepare for crushing defeat in November poll, Olatunbosun said the bitterly divided house of PDP would give way to APC to enable Ondo residents see development in APC-led government in the state.
He said:”In the midst of plenty, PDP-led government has done enough havoc to the psyche of Ondo State people in the last few years.
“Now is the time to break from the yoke of PDP that has imposed the reign of impunity, mismanagement,lack of transparency and accountability and bereft of development programmes even when Ondo is an oil-producing but sadly lacking in right political leadership with right vision to develop the state.”
He also praised other aspirants for embracing Akeredolu after emerging victorious, saying this demonstrated a new political conduct that emphasised collective interest above self-interests among the contestants.
“Self-interest above collective interest in political contest is what is driving PDP into factionalisation at the state and national levels and this is what Nigerians have seen in the party that informed the rejection of PDP in all recent elections across the country.
“This Ondo governorship election is not going to be an exception against the background of the ruins the party has brought on the nation during its 16 years maladministration of Nigeria,”he said.
Praising APC for institutionalising transparent internal democracy as demonstrated in recent party’s primaries across the country, Olatunbosun urged Akeredolu to work closely with other aspirants and party leadership in the state to ensure victory in the November governorship poll.
