A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti, Akinlayo Kolawole, has called on delegates saddled wiThelecting the party’s flag bearer for the July 14 gubernatorial poll to consider competence, experience and commitment to the ideals of the party.
According to him, “we are operating as an opposition party in the state, we need to ensure that the best among the aspirants currently jostling for the party’s flag is presented as candidate for the election”. Kolawole, who has been mobilising APC faithful in Ekiti North for some time now said, “money should not be part of the requirement to occupy public office but commitment, consistency and contributions to party development”.
Speaking with newsmen in AdoEkiti yesterday, Kolawole called on the leadership of the party to ensure that the forthcoming primaries of the party is not only transparent but free, fair and credible , saying anything short of this would engender crisis, acrimony and division within the party.
In his words, “a free and fair primary would enable the party to go to the poll with a united and formidable house, wiThevery party member working for the success of the party from ward to state levels. He stated that, “once we allow imposition, the after-effect would not be palatable for our party and that would mean allowing the ship of Ekiti to wander away for another four years”.
“In a contest, one person must win, if we all have the interest of the party at heart, once a winner emerges, we should all line up behind, join hands with him and face our common opponent. “Our leaders must be prepared to go the extra miles immediately after the primaries to assuage the feeling of the aggrieved and make sure they remain in the fold and whoever emerges as the candidate of the party must reach out to them too. “He said the primaries would be a litmus test of the party’s unity,” Kolawole said.
