The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has said President Muhammadu Buhari will ensure that the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State is transparent, free, fair and credible.
The party chairman also said the election would be a โmust-winโ for the ruling party at the Federal level.
He assured the partyโs aspirants that a credible, free, fair and transparent primary would be conducted to choose the partyโs flag bearer.
The chairman stressed that the Muhammadu Buhari administration would not compromise the integrity of the ballot box, despite the partyโs quest to regain the governorship seat in Ekiti.
He promised that the APC structure in the country will mobilise resources to assist party members in Ekiti to win the governorship poll.
Odigie-Oyegun spoke yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, during his one-day official visit to Ekiti State for the membership mobilisation drive into the party.
The APC National Chairman registered new members at the state secretariat on Ajilosun in Ado-Ekiti.
Some members of the National Working Committee (NWC), including the National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso, joined the chairman.
Odigie-Oyegun and his team made a stopover at the state secretariat where thousands of party members mobilised by governorship aspirants had waited to receive the team.
The train later moved to Eagle Hall on Ikere Road where another crowd of party faithful gathered.
The National Chairman, Ekiti State APC Chairman, Chief Olajide Awe, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, State Working Committee (SWC) members and governorship aspirants sauntered into the hall at 1.15 p.m to a rapturous ovation by party supporters.
Odigie-Oyegun said the kick-off of the nationwide registration of new party members was brought to Ekiti to show the readiness of the APC to win this yearโs governorship poll in the Southwest state.
He said: โWe did not choose Ekiti to kick-start this event (new membership drive) by accident. Ekiti is facing an important election that will happen in this nation.
โGod has put it in our hand; God has put it on your laps and God has chosen Ekiti to be a major factor in the politics of this country in July 2018.
โWe in the National Executive have decided that the coming election in Ekiti is one we will work as hard as possible to win. No stone will be left unturned: it is a must-win election.
โAs you know, the Muhammadu Buhari administration will not compromise offering voters a level-playing field. The Buhari administration will not compromise having a free and fair election.
โIt means whether we are in power at the federal level or not, we must all work hard to deserve the victory that belongs to us.โ
Odigie-Oyegun also reeled out some guidelines to ensure that aspirants and their supporters conduct themselves with decorum and ensure that the party organises a transparent primary.
He added: โThe aspirants should not campaign as if there is no tomorrow. Donโt campaign with enmity because there should be no discord in the party. Anybody who wants to fly the partyโs flag must sign an undertaking to maintain decorum.
โWe at the national headquarters, having guaranteed a free and fair primary โ because there cannot be peace without justice โ will guarantee a free and fair primary.
โWe must not have bad losers. All aspirants must collapse their structures into the person that is chosen at the primary. There must be no division and factionalisation in the party.
โNo officer (in the State Exco) should join the campaign bandwagon of any aspirant, whatever position you hold. The moment you do that, you have factionalised the party.โ
On the rumour to impose a candidate, Odigie-Oyegun said: โI want to assure that in Ekiti State, we will have free, fair and credible primary. We will provide security at the primary. It will be an open event and will be covered and recorded on television from the beginning to the end.
โThere will be proper identification of delegates to prevent impersonation. Once the delegatesโ list is out, every aspirant who pays the prescribe fee will be given the delegatesโ list.
โAt the voting point, party chairmen of the local government (chapters) and wards will stand at a distance away, but they will ensure that those who will vote are bona fide delegates. Anybody found impersonating will be handed over to the police.
โA formidable group of (APC) governors will be mobilised to superintend, guide and ensure that the election is totally free and fair.
โFinally, as far as Ekiti governorship election is concerned, we are going to mobilise the entire country, the entire APC structure, to ensure that you (Ekiti APC) are not alone and that all the resources you need for the election are made available to you.
โAt the end of July, Ekiti will be APC.โ
Governorship aspirants at the parley included Chief Segun Oni, Dr. Wole Oluyede, Mr. Kola Alabi, Mr. Victor Kolade, Dr. Bayo Orire, Senator Gbenga Aluko, Captain Sunday Adebomi, Dr. Mojisola Kolade, Chief Diran Adesua, Mr. Bimbo Daramola, Senator Ayo Arise, Dr. Wole Oluleye and Dr. Makanjuola Owolabi.
