Some members of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Ekiti have threatened to mobilise and vote against any candidate imposed on the party in the 2023 National Assembly elections.
The APC members, under the auspices of Ekiti North Concerned Patriots, said that imposition imposition of candidates had been responsible for why the party always struggled to win National Assembly poll in the senatorial district
The group, which endorsed Dr. Olusegun Osinkolu for Senate in the district stated this in a statement signed by the group’s Chairman, Hon Adebayo Olayisade, in Ido Ekiti, the headquarters of Ido/Osi Council Area of Ekiti State, on Sunday.
Olayisade said the group with members spread across the 56 wards in the five councils in the district, had unanimously came into conclusion that Osinkolu had made a lot of sacrifices for the party and should be rewarded with the Senatorial ticket.
He said that the former Director General, Buhari/Osinbajo campaign Council in the 2019 presidential poll in Ekiti had made enough contributions to the building of the party much better than those being wrongly presented for political positions by the party.
Olayisade described imposition as one factor that was destroying the fabrics of loyalty among members , which he said must be rectified to salvage APC from losing the June 18 poll and the 2023 elections.
“He has always been contesting to be a Senator representing Ekiti North Senatorial District. He did this in 2011, 2015 and 2019 respectively. We won’t allow imposition this time, the party must field popular candidate, because we will vote against any candidate that emerges via imposition.
“He is a loyal party man and loyalty must be rewarded this time. Each time he lost, he had taken his time to spend his hard-earned resources and time working hard for whoever the party picked to win the election.
“His believe had always been that the party is supreme and whatever decision it took must be respected. But this time, we think those, who had been loyal and patient with the party’s decisions must be rewarded to further buoy loyalty among APC members”, he said.
Olayisade commended Osinkolu for doing his best to empower many people despite not holding any political position in the district, saying this he had been done zealously across the five local governments in the district.
“He had performed this in terms of empowerment, financial help for emergency situations and distribution of Christmas gifts on yearly basis whether we are in power or not.
“Again, in the last presidential election conducted in 2019, he was the Director General, Buhari/ Osinbajo campaign Council in Ekiti and he delivered Ekiti for Mr. President.
“We knew and fully convinced that he merits being compensated with that ticket in APC. Those who have not done half one what he has done have done are representing APC, why should he then be sidelined?”, Olayisade asked.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
