Aspirants gearing up for the forthcoming local government elections in Ekiti State have penned a letter to Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, appealing for his intervention in ensuring equitable APC primary elections leading up to the polls.
Through their attorney, the APC hopefuls have conveyed their unease over claims that the chairman of Ekiti South East Local Council Development Area is confidently asserting that the governor has supported her for another term, a stance that contradicts the beliefs of their clients and various stakeholders who emphasise the governor’s opposition to imposition.
The concerns of Agboola Oluwafemi, Omojola Oluwagbohunmi, Oladipo Babalola Peter, Ogundana Sikiru Sunday, and Oyewole Stella Omolade, who are candidates in the upcoming elections, have been brought forth through their attorney, Adedayo Adewumi.
On the APC platform, these five aspirants are seeking the position of chairman in the Ekiti South East Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
The aspirants stressed their allegiance to the party and proposed that conducting a primary election marked by fairness and transparency would go a long way in solidifying the APC’s standing in the state and providing an edge in the main election.
They noted the exceptional nature of their LCDA, which includes a multitude of communities, and stressed that no community should experience unjust treatment, as all communities have an equal claim to the chairmanship. They emphasized that the office should not be considered an inherent birthright.
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According to their counsel, ‘the APC lost the last House of Assembly election to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) due to imposition, and such a situation should not be allowed to recur in the party in Ekiti State.’
‘Our clients wholeheartedly appreciate your Excellency for taking time out of your tight schedule to go through the contents of this letter, and they humbly request that you accede to their request,’ the letter read in part.
The aspirants, when explaining their opposition to imposition, made reference to past experiences. Oladipo Babalola Peter, representing Ward 11 in Ikun Oba Ekiti and having served as a councillor, alleged that the incumbent LCDA leader was positioning herself as the exclusive candidate, despite there being six aspirants in the competition.
Speaking on the matter, Oyewole Stella Omolade, an aspirant from Ward 4, argued against entertaining rumors of imposition. She stressed that, given the LCDA’s many communities, the chairmanship position should be rotated fairly among them.
‘Ogundana Sikiru Sunday from Ward 2, who was the chairman of Ekiti East Local Government, appealed to APC leaders to look into the matter, pointing out that if a consensus candidate cannot be agreed upon, a primary election should be conducted among the six contestants.’
Agboola Emmanuel Oluwafemi, who previously served as a supervisor in Ward 10, made it known that, in light of the alleged assertion by the current LCDA chairperson as the sole candidate, they had composed a letter to the governor and party leaders. Regrettably, they have yet to receive any response to their letter.
Speaking from Ward 11 and having previously served as a council assistant to Governor Kayode Fayemi, Omojola Oluwagbohunmi emphasized that imposing candidates in elections is incompatible with democratic values. He expressed his trust in Governor Oyebanji’s commitment to upholding these principles.