How to avert post-primary crisis in Ekiti APC

Ekiti State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant Hon. Bimbo Daramola has urged the party leadership to conduct a credible primary to avert post-primary crisis.

He said a truly democratic and free and fair shadow poll will prevent a rancorous primary and safe the party from disaster during the governorship election.

Daramola, a former member of the House of Representatives, said the large number of contenders is worrisome, saying that the party should have set out some rules to prevent unserious aspirants.

Warning that the huge number may bring trouble, he lamented that aspirants are building personal structures, instead of collectively building the party.

On post-primary crisis, he said: “Take it from me, it is inevitable. It is already too late. We are six months late. There is no way. Only one candidate will emerge. Since there are no rules, anybody can just come out to declare. Some people have come before me, moving about, spending money. Some people have come after me.”

Daramola added: “Between February 2016 and now, I have gone to the 16 local governments, more than 100 towns. Multiply that with one million naira. It is inconsiderable that I will go to Ekiti with one million naira. Multiply the one hundred times I have gone to Ekiti with one million naira, that’s what has gone into the race. The party should conduct a fair primary. Now, their own supporters will say, we have been following you for so long. We can’t agree with the outcome of the primary, when they are defeated.

“It is very difficult. If we have set up an in-house cleansing, the number of aspirants will not be huge. There should have been parameters to guide us. I wrote to seek an audience with the national chairman. There is no response. I genuinely love my state. I genuinely love my party. I have put my life on the line severally for the party. I don’t want Ekiti State to go back. I don’t want to see the consolidation of what we see today in Ekiti. I believe our party can steer Ekiti out of this doldrums. But, we need to get it right.

Daramola said the APC can only dislodge the PDP, if it puts its house in order and promote cohesion.

He said Governor Ayodele Fayose’s PDP has started mobilization, ahead of the poll at a time the APC aspirants appeared to be working at cross-purposes.

The former legislator said: “ The guy in government is consolidating every week. He is meeting with all kinds of groups; artisans, okara riders. He is serving them his political diet. People continue to salivate, eating and enjoying it. At what time are we going to start feeding them with a different meal.

“If we have a rancorous primary like they had in 2007, when 13 or 14 of the candidates pulled out in one day, and teamed behind Olusegun Oni, who came third in the PDP primary, I leave that to the leadership. I defer to them. Forty people at the primary; it will be unmanageable. Are we going to have 40 boxes or one box with 40 party agents, with over 2,040 delegates with the statutory ones? Look at Anambra. Anambra have less. Look at Ondo. Ondo had less. We have 40 in Ekiti. How do you manage that? It is going to test the wit of our leaders. I hope it will not lead to the extent that the falcon will not be able to bear with the falconer.”