The All Progressives Congress (APC) Ekiti State Chapter on Saturday said it has postponed the local government primary elections in two local government areas of the state.
The ruling party’s shadow primary which was scheduled to hold on Saturday was suspended indefinitely in Ado and Ikole Local Government over security concern while the elections held in other 14 local councils.
The party spokesperson, Ade Ajayi who stated this in Ado Ekiti in a telephone chat with newsmen, said the decision was reached by the party high decision making organ following emergence of a security report that some hooligans were plotting to tinker with the political atmosphere and disrupt the exercise.
Ajayi said that a new date would be communicated to all concerned stakeholders as soon as report shows that the coast is clear.
“The reason for the postponement in respect of the two local government is due to security concerns. We had it on record that there would be breakdown of law and order.
“And it was on this basis we decided to postpone the election in the two local government until further notice. The remaining 14 Council election will hold today as scheduled”, he said.
The indefinite postponement has created fear and re-awakened the suspicion of some aspirants who alleged the party leadership of plotting to impose its anointed candidates on the people.
Two of the aspirants who spoke to newsmen at the venue of the primary including Alhaji Tajudeen Gidado, and Tosin Aluko, expressed displeasure over the suspension of the party’s shadow election.
They accused the leadership of the party of being undemocratic, warning that they would resist any attempt to impose on the party.
In her reaction, Mrs Aluko, an aspirant in the election lamented that the leadership of the party were determined to impose a candidate.
“I just heard it here now that the election has been Postponed. I don’t want to believe it because Governor Kayode Fayemi issued a statement last week that there would be primary election and that there won’t be imposition.
“We have been waiting here since morning for the primary. Some people are with the Deputy Chairman of the party now, Sola Elesin, they don’t want the election to hold because of the plan they have to impose one of us as the candidate.
” I don’t know why they are doing this, they should allow people to make their choice because this is democracy. They’re doing this because they want to impose someone. But the governor they are dropping his name has come out to say he has no preferred candidate.”
But the party Spokesman described the allegations as a conjectural statement that lack content of validity in all its measure.
Ajayi maintained that all aspirants will be given a level playing ground to participate in the exercise, noting that the election will be conducted in a transparent, free and fair manner without compromising the basic principle of internal democracy.
