By Lesley Muosowo Otu
The ruling All Progressive Party (APC) has refuted a statement credited to a group, “Unity Mandate Agenda”, that the Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has been “endorsed” for a second term by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the Party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
In a statement signed by the Party’s Spokesperson, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu on Tuesday, the party said, “this is indeed a grievous falsehood intended to create disaffection among our members.
“We hereby refute this spurious statement and wish to state unequivocally that neither the National Chairman nor any member of the Party’s National Working Committee (NWC) has the power to endorse any aspirant.
“The APC is not in the business of endorsing aspirants. As a progressive party, our ultimate guiding principle is strict adherence to the tenets of participatory democracy.
“Our members in Ondo State and elsewhere should ignore this unfounded report. As we move close to governorship primaries in both Edo and Ondo States, it should be expected that mischief makers would do their worst to impugn on the process. As always, they would fail in this current campaign
“Our responsibility as the National Working Committee is to provide level playing ground for every eligible aspirant to contest for the ticket”, the statement read.
According to Issa-Onilu, the Party’s schedule of activities for the Edo and Ondo Governorship elections have been released.
“Our focus now is to ensure proper screening of aspirants, due diligence and conduct free, transparent and credible primaries to elect the Party’s candidates for both elections.
“Our members should continue to count on us to provide responsible leadership and act strictly by the rules at all times”, he said.
