By Samuel Fasua
The Ondo State chapter of an All Progressives Congress pressure group, the Change Agent Foundation International, was at the weekend launched in Akure, with its members claiming the mandate to stop Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) from picking the party’s governorship ticket come next year.
The Ondo governorship election is scheduled to hold in November 2020.
Speaking with our correspondent shortly after the state’s chapter of CAFI was inaugurated, its National President, Mr. Dipo Okeyomi, alleged that apart from engaging in anti-party activities, the governor had become too controversial, “having taken on too many politicians in one form of quarrel or the other.
“The governor is controversial; he has taken on too many politicians in one form of disagreement or the other. He is quarrelling with the party’s national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; he is not in good terms with our National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole; he is not cordial with President Muhammadu Buhari; he is fighting with the state (former) party chairman. No, we, the articulate and progressive members of the APC cannot condone that.
“How can a governor be campaigning openly for AA, another political party, when he is in APC? Those whom he misled from our party to AA to go and contest there are now regretting the action. Then the governor said people should be planting Indian hemp. Would that not suggest that he smokes it?
“We are determined to stop both Akeredolu and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi from picking our ticket. APC cannot afford to use non-sellable people as candidates again.”
Okeyomi also said the newly launched chapter of CAFI in Ondo State had been tasked to penetrate the grassroots and mobilise party members, noting that from the knowledge of hindsight, he could confirm that direct primary elections would be conducted in both Kogi and Ondo states.
But in a swift reaction, the Ondo State Chairman of the APC, Mr. Ade Adetimehin, described the CAFI as a strange group, expressing surprise that “non-existent allegations” could be leveled against the governor.
Speaking with our correspondent, Adetimehin said, “The governor is not fighting me, he not fighting the party or anybody for that matter. You could see that he was recently with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and that he also attended a meeting between President Buhari and the South-West governors.
“If he is fighting these people, would he go to meet them?”
Adetimehin added that those maligning the governor were people who could not secure political appointments under the administration.
He said, “Truly, everybody cannot get political appointment, but if we are all patient, it will reach our turn at one time or the other. What should be our concern is that, is the governor doing well in the area of infrastructural provisions? Yes, everybody can attest to Akeredolu’s great performance.
“In taking care of party members, he may not have done it 100 percent, but we are going round, talking to our people to seek their understanding; and in due course, everything will be sorted out.”
At the launch of CAFI, Ondo State chapter, Mr. Tolu Babaleye, emerged as State Coordinator; Mr. Ade Adeyefa as Assistant State Coordinator, and Mr. Rotimi Ekundayo as Director of Mobilisation.
Ekundayo told our correspondent that as Director of Mobilisation, he would tour the 18 local government areas to create awareness on the need to have another governorship candidate in the APC for the 2020 election.
“We are all here in Ondo State and we see how people are suffering. For Akeredolu, o to ge (enough is enough),” Ekundayo said.
