We won’t force Tinubu to support Akeredolu – Abayomi

An aspirant in the September 3 governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, has faulted Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s call for John Odigie-Oyegun’s resignation as chairman of the APC.

He stated that the major opposition party would do its best to win the state’s governorship poll without Tinubu’s support.

Abayomi said Tinubu’s call was inappropriate because the National Working Committee of the party upheld results of the primary.

A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), defeated other aspirants, including Dr. Olusegun Abraham, who was endorsed by Tinubu, to win the party’s governorship ticket.

Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone, Abayomi accused the Electoral Appeal Committee of causing  confusion in the party by recommending that the APC should conduct another primary, since it was impossible for the party to organise a fresh poll.

He said, “I am personally disappointed that Asiwaju would be determined to ensure that the results of the primary should be voided by all means. I think he was wrong. What is important is the support of the people of Ondo State. Though we want his (Tinubu) support for Akeredolu to win the election, we cannot force him (to do so). If he refuses to support us, that cannot stop us from moving on. We still have respect for him but we cannot force him to do (the) right (thing). We can only appeal to him to do (the) right (thing).”

He, however, maintained that the disagreement between Tinubu and Oyegun would not affect the stability of the party at the national level.

Meanwhile, the National Vice Chairman of the APC (South South), Hilliard Eta has said, with the party’s victory in the Edo State governorship poll, the APC aims to win the Ondo governorship poll.

Eta, who spoke in a telephone interview with SUNDAY PUNCH in Abuja, on Saturday, said the APC’s victory was a testimony to Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s performance.

Eta said, “We have won in Edo. What is left for us now is to reconcile our members in Ondo State and support our candidate to ensure that we win the forthcoming governorship election.”

Following the APC’s victory in the Edo poll, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Oyegun, Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, and the Ondo APC congratulated the Governor-elect, Godwin Obaseki.

Ajimobi described Obaseki as a worthy successor to Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

He said, “I’m confident that the incoming governor will not betray the confidence people of Edo have in Obaseki by giving him their mandate, based on his impeccable antecedents as a good manager of men and resources.”

In a related development, the Ondo State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN),  has said the Independent National Electoral Commission’s publication of his name and credentials affirmed him as the PDP’s authentic candidate.

Due to a leadership crisis in the party, two factions of the party claimed to have submitted different names to INEC.

While Ahmed Makarfi’s faction submitted Jegede’s name, Ali Modu Sheriff’s faction said it submitted Jimoh Ibrahim’s name.

He said, “We cannot allow fifth columnists to paint us as a divided house. The real PDP members know that we have just one united house.”