Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the aegis of Ondo State APC Movement Against Imposition (MAI) yesterday sealed off the party’s secretariat in Akure, the state capital.
They announced the purported removal of state party Chair, Isaac Kekemeke and his replacement by a member of the State Executive Committee (SEC), Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye in acting currently.
But Kekemeke described the action as laughable, saying it was part of challenges confronting those in leadership position.
He denied the allegations levelled against him by the protesters, who carried placards with various unprintable inscriptions.
A detachment of policemen took positions around the APC secretariat to maintain the peace.
Some of the allegations against Kekemeke include anti-party activities, manipulation of delegates’ list for the primary election and attempt to impose a particular aspirant as candidate, among others.
The convener of the group, Tolu Babaleye, a lawyer, said a genuine delegates list used for the 2014 primary election of the National and State Assembly elections must be made available to the aspirants.
He urged the APC national leadership to appoint an officer from its National Secretariat in Abuja to conduct the next week’s primary election to facilitate a credible exercise.
Kekemeke noted that only the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) has the power to conduct primaries in every state.
He said there was no going back on conducting free and fair primary election for the APC governorship aspirants.
The party primary holds next Saturday in the state capital.
Kekemeke said irrespective of blackmail from some quarters, he would continue to pursue the course of free, fair and transparent poll.
The chairman refuted the allegation of bias, saying he has maintained a level-playing ground he promised the aspirants.
Saka Yusuf – Ogunleye said the party would not accept anything less than free, fair and transparent primaries election devoid of undue influence.
He expressed the need to allow internal democracy in the affairs of the party to facilitate victory.
The protesters purportedly came from the state’s three senatorial districts.
