- Appeal Panel says no petition on Saturday primary
The All Progressives Congress (APC) appears to have provided safety net for its governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi after the controversial primary election last Saturday.
Apparently, Ambassador Fati Balla, Chairman of the APC Ekiti State Governorship Primary Election Appeal Committee submitting its report to the Party’s national leadership on Tuesday, said that no petition was received on the Primary Election conducted in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, last Saturday. The APC Ekiti State Governorship Primary Election Appeal Committee, accordingly, gave Fayemi a clean bill to commence his electioneering campaign for the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State.
APC National Organising Secretary, Sen. Osita Izunaso, received the report on behalf of the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, at the APC National Secretariat, Abuja.
Balla said the three-member Appeal Committee which was inaugurated on May 2, sat for three days after last Saturday’s Primary Election.
The appeal committee include: Capt. Bala Jibrin (Secretary) and Mrs. Lilian Obenwa.
“In the three days that we (committee) have sat, we have not received a single petition, either in form of writing, telephone call or a text message, which means there has been no petition after the Primary Election in Ekiti State,” he said.
“We have come before you this afternoon to submit a report. Since there is no petition from Ekiti State, therefore the committee has wound up this afternoon.”
Receiving the Appeal Committee report, the APC National Organising Secretary, Sen. Osita Izunaso, commended the committee for undertaking the assignment on behalf of the Party.
Izunaso said all efforts were currently geared towards winning the July 14 Ekiti Governorship Election. He disclosed that the Party’s National Campaign Committee for the Ekiti Governorship Election will soon be set up.
He encouraged voters in Ekiti State to come out enmasse to reclaim their stolen mandate by voting for the Party’s Governorship candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, come July.
Izunaso declared: “We are glad that you have finished your assignment after sitting for three days and there is no petition from any aspirant, both orally and in writing. We are also glad that the Ekiti Primary Election has taken place and that the aspirants are working together to ensure that we win the governorship election in Ekiti state.
“The most important thing to us in the APC is victory in the July election in Ekiti state. For us in the APC, whenever there is a Primary Election, it is a family affair. And whenever we finish our Primary Elections, and aspirants and stakeholders come together to work as a team, it gladdens our heart as a Party.
“I am aware that very soon we will set up the National Campaign Committee for Ekiti state and also have another meeting with the aspirants to properly integrate them into what we are doing because ultimately, victory is our end result and we believe that by the special Grace of God, the people of Ekiti will regain the mandate that they gave to APC four years ago, that was stolen. This is another opportunity for Ekiti people to regain that mandate. And this time around, it will no longer be stolen by anybody.
“Once Ekiti people come out enmasse and vote for the APC, we will defend our result and ensure that we reclaim what truly belong to us. Right now, it is only Ekiti State in the South West that is not in the APC fold. That shows that South West is APC and we should as much as possible try to encourage our voters in Ekiti state to come out enmasse and vote for our Party.”