Ahead of the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) has rejected the candidature of Olusola Oke.

In a communique made public on Friday in Akure after a meeting, the National Organising Secretary of the party, Ibrahim Abdollah, said the party’s NEC was not aware of Mr. Oke’s candidature.

NAN reports that the meeting was presided over by the party’s Deputy National Chairman, Musa Loyi, and attended by all the state chairmen and some national officers.

The communique said the party’s National Working Committee and Board of Trustees were also not carried along in arriving at the choice of Oke.

“Chief Olusola Oke is hereby not adopted as the flag bearer of AD in the Nov. 26 gubernatorial election,’’ it said.

The communique also passed a vote of no confidence on the national chairman of the party, Joseph Avazi, National Secretary, Akin Fasogbon, National Auditor, Ismaeel Ayodele, and South West Zonal Chairman, Chief Tayo Onayemi.

It said the officers’ actions, in adopting Mr. Oke as candidate, contradicted the party’s constitution, adding that they had no power to usurp that of the party’s NEC.

The communique directed the national chairman and secretary to convene a NEC meeting in Abuja within 21 days, saying failure to do this would lead to punitive measures against them.

It added that a five-member committee should be set up to recommend to the party the next line of action with regards to choosing a candidate.

(NAN)