After sitting for three days, the appeal committee set up to review complaints arising from the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State on Tuesday submitted its report to the party, declaring that it received no petition against the nomination of Kayode Fayemi.
Mr Fayemi, who is a former governor of the state and current Minister of Solid Minerals Development, appeared to be in the lead among 33 contestants when the primary was first conducted on Saturday May 5 in the state capital, Ado-Ekiti.
Following the disruption of that first exercise, the party rescheduled it for Saturday May 12 and Mr Fayemi emerged as the flag bearer of the party out of 32 aspirants. One of the aspirants, Babafemi Ojudu, had pulled out ahead of the poll.
The appeal committee chaired by Fati Balla on Tuesday presented its report to the National Organising Secretary of the party, Osita Izunaso, who received it on behalf of the party’s leadership at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.
Mrs Balla said the three-member Appeal Committee which was inaugurated on May 2, sat for three days after the primary election. Its other members were Bala Jibrin (Secretary) and Lilian Obenwa.
“In the three days that we 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. 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,” she stated.
After receiving the report, Mr Izunaso thanked the committee for undertaking the assignment on behalf of the party, disclosing that the party’s National Campaign Committee will soon be set up ahead of the main election on July 14.
“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 belongs 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,” Mr Izunaso said.
