EKITI 2018: 33 aspirants jostle for APC’s governorship ticket

Palpable anxiety hung over Ekiti State yesterday as the All Progressives Congress (APC) prepared for its governorship primary scheduled to hold today.



The primary election is scheduled to hold at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium in Dallimore area of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

A total 33 aspirants, including former governors Chief Segun Oni and Dr. Kayode Fayemi, are slugging it out in the race for the party’s ticket.

Also eyeing the ticket are Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Senator Gbenga Aluko, Hon. Femi Bamisile, Dr.Wole Oluyede, Hon. Bamidele Faparusi, Hon. Bimbo Daramola, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, Senator Ayo Arise, Dr. Wole Oluleye and Dr. Adebayo Orire.

Others are Mr. Kola Alabi, Mr. Kayode Ojo, Mr. Muyiwa Olumilua, Mr. Victor Kolade, Mr. Debo Ajayi, Chief Dele Okeya, Chief Diran Adesua, Chief Sesan Fatoba, Dr. (Mrs.) Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, Mr. Olumuyiwa Coker and Deacon Adekunle Esan.

The rest are Mr. Dipo Ogunkoyode, Mr. Bodunde Adeyanju, Capt. Sunday Adebomi, Otunba Bisi Aloba, Otunba Yinka Akerele, Hon. Charles Dahunsi, Mr. Ajayi Olowo, Prince Tosin Olofinluyi and Mrs. Taye Matesun.

All the aspirants, who were cleared last week, have been given copies of the list of delegates expected to vote at the primary.

The Chairman of the Ekiti APC Governorship Electoral Committee, who is also the Nasarawa State governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, arrived with his team on Thursday with other members of the panel.

Other members of the panel are Hon. Magaji Aliyu (Secretary), Mr. Duke Oshodin, Mr. Robert Okwuego and Mr. Tunde Balogun.

A three-member Electoral Appeal Panel is chaired by Ambassador Fati Balla, with the two other members as Captain Bala Jibrin (Secretary) and Mrs. Lilian Obenwa.

At the time of filing this report, the venue of the primary was being given a facelift while the gadgets to be used were being installed.

Aspirants are making last-ditch contracts with delegates, who have now become beautiful brides in the political game. Their votes will decide the fate of the aspirants in the choice of the party’s flag bearer.

While some delegates were moving from the camp of one aspirant to the other, others relocated to secret locations from where they planned to storm the venue of the primary election.

The shadow election has become the talk of the town as residents discuss it as newsstands, bus stops, markets, shops, offices and junctions.

There seems to be a lot of interest in the APC candidate for the state’s governorship election because of the widely held belief that the ruling party is better positioned now to win the election after winning the 2015 presidential election.

A major talking point is the high number of aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket, which many observers consider unwieldy.

In the pack are contenders, pretenders and those who will just make up the number.

Observers believe that the scramble for the party’s ticket is hinged on the belief that the party has no sitting governor who could manipulate the process.

It is believed in some quarters that the APC has the chance to win, depending on the candidate it fields. The choice is that of the 2,650 delegates who will decide the fate of the aspirants.

The state’s governorship election is scheduled to hold on July 14.