Elders of the Ondo State All Progressives Congress, also known as Ondo APC Aborigines, announced on Thursday that they had selected three governorship candidates within the party to consider for approval.
The Ondo State governorship election will take place on November 16 and the APC has scheduled April 25 for its primary election to choose its gubernatorial candidate.
One of the leading contenders is the current governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Additional contenders include former Commissioner for Finance, Wale Akinterinwa; the APC National Vice Chairman (South-West), Isaac Kekemeke; former House of Representatives member, Mayowa Akinfolarin; and former Special Adviser to the late Governor Akeredolu on Health, Prof. Francis Faduyile.
Other candidates are former governorship aspirant of the party, Chief Olusola Oke; former Chairman of the Ondo State Oil-producing Areas Development Commission, Mr Gbenga Edema; business mogul and current senator, Dr Jimoh Ibrahim; Dr Paul Akintelure and Brig. Gen. Olamide Ohunyeye (retd).
The Ondo APC elders had cautioned the party against selecting a “stranger” or an “alien” as a gubernatorial candidate last week.
Following a meeting in Akure on Thursday, the group's chairman and former Ambassador to Togo, Sola Iji, revealed that a nine-person committee set up by the APC elders had evaluated all the candidates and had selected three of them, from whom one would be approved after further assessment.
According to Iji, the committee chaired by Mrs. Christy Olufowose, had presented its report at the Thursday meeting.
Iji stated, “We have received the report of the nine-person committee led by Olufowose. The report includes some recommendations that we, the leaders, will discuss and then come back to make a final decision on our preferred candidate.
“We are looking to work with a preferred candidate who will support the party. The elders will review the recommendations. What should concern the people is the candidate who will be well-received.
“The committee has identified the candidates. The group has accepted the committee's report but with some changes. In the next meeting next week, we should be able to announce the candidate we are endorsing.”
Although Iji didn't disclose the names of the three considered candidates, our reporter reliably learned that Aiyedatiwa was one of them.
A former Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, emphasized that party loyalty would be a significant factor in choosing the candidates that the elders would support at the APC gubernatorial primary.
“Loyalty to the party should be taken into account. How long have you been involved with the party? All of these factors will be used to evaluate the candidates,” Boroffice said.
Similarly, a former Commissioner for Regional Integration in Osun State, Mr. Bola Ilori, expressed the group's opposition to the commercialization of the party, stating that all candidates who believed that sharing billions would secure them the party's ticket would be disappointed.
Ilori added, “One major issue that arose in our discussion is our desire to combat the commercialization of the party because when people believe it's all about money, we will lose the genuine interest of members. That was the initial problem we encountered.
“This is the chance to change that story. The party is not up for sale. We want a governor we can communicate with, not a governor who will exclude the party members. Someone might offer a lot of money, but they will be unsuccessful this time.”
