The
‘suspended’ chairman of the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives
Congress, APC, Isaacs Kekemeke, has dragged the state governor, Rotimi
Akeredolu, before the south west zone of the party, accusing him of being
behind his recent woes.
In the
petition addressed to the regional office of the party on Tuesday, Mr. Kekemeke
alleged that the governor was fuelling the crisis within the party.
Mr.
Kekemeke was controversially suspended by some members of the state executive
committee over allegations of anti-party activities and dereliction of duty as
chairman of the party.
His
deputy, Ade Adetimehin, was appointed to act as chairman, pending the
conclusion of work by an investigative panel set up to probe the allegations
levelled against him.
Some
APC followers believe that Mr. Kekemeke’s allegation against the governor
reflected the posture of his administration of excluding party members who did
not support his governorship candidacy.
Mr.
Kekemeke, who insists he remains the chairman, said Mr. Akeredolu had refused
to put behind him the controversy surrounding his emergence as the
gubernatorial candidate of the party from the September 2016 party primaries.
Mr.
Akeredolu won the primaries, and the eventual election, in controversial
circumstance despite the opposition of some party leaders including Mr.
Kekemeke and former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu.
The
party chairman alleged that the governor had been using government machinery to
vilify those who were perceived not to be in his camp during the last election
of the party.
“Clearly
this song with its familiar and cacophonic tune was scripted by Mr. Rotimi
Akeredolu, Governor of Ondo State, who has refused to break-away from the
bitterness and vestige of the Ondo State APC gubernatorial primary election,”
he asserted.
“He
has therefore deployed state machinery to vilify perceived enemies, resulting
in this latest choreography with a macabre sense of humour.”
The
Chief Press Secretary to Mr. Akeredolu, Segun Ajiboye, denied that the governor
was involved in the current travails of the chairman.
He
said Mr. Akeredolu had been very much engaged with matters of state and had no
time to meddle in the affairs of the party leadership.
According
to Mr. Ajiboye, the suspension of the chairman was purely a party affair.
“The
governor is too busy to be involved in the administration of the state and the
party at the same time,” said Mr. Ajiboye.
“The
chairman should look elsewhere, as the governor will not interfere in the
affairs of the Party.”
Mr.
Kekemeke in the petition maintained that he remained the chairman of the party
in the state, describing the action of some members of the state executive
calling for his removal as “unconstitutional and most unconscionable.”
“It
must be noted, however, that no meeting of the State Executive Committee was
ever called by either the State Chairman or the State Working Committee; neither
was there a complaint nor petition by any member against the Chairman or any
other officer received; to necessitate the invoking of the disciplinary
procedure as provided for by Article 21(B) of the APC Constitution,” he said.
“We
are however baffled that such a respected and respectable organ of our party
created by the Constitution for noble ends, could be wrongly and maliciously
appropriated by a few misguided and unqualified elements without regards to the
clear constitutional requirements of the mode and composition of that organ.
“And
most shockingly, with the active connivance of the State Governor, who ought to
know better, but is only bent on re-enacting his position immediately before
the Ondo State APC gubernatorial primary election.
“We are
quick to draw your attention to this ongoing political experiment because of
the danger it poses to the health of our party in the State, Zone and Nation at
large.”
He
however urged the zonal committee to intervene to forestall further derailment
of the party leadership.
“Your
intervention in accordance with Article 13.5(i) and 21(B)(V) of the
Constitution of the Party can prevent the implosion that is waiting to happen,”
Mr. Kekemeke said.
“We
remain resolute to resist this war of attrition with its attendant consequences
on our party, now and in the future.”
0 comments:
Post a Comment