Osun Election: APC Postpones Primary Election as SDP Picks Iwo Indigene as Guber Candidate

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday said due to unforeseen circumstances, the primary election to choose its gubernatorial standard bearer for September 22 which would have been held today has been postponed.

The party regretted the development but promised that sooner, a new date will be fixed for the election.

The state party spokesman, Kunle Oyatomi, noted that party members should be at alert. It would also be record that the party had postponed the primary twice.

But before the postponement of the primaries, one of the 17 party governorship aspirants in the Kunle Adegoke, has alleged that plans have been concluded to impose the Chief of Staff to the state Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, as the party's candidate in now postponed primary election.

He vowed to fight the process which he described has "a game without rules," saying the action of the party is an "advance notice of an imminent chaos.

Adegoke, who spoke at a press conference in Osogbo on Wednesday, said the argument of National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomole, on the direct primary was sound, but was dogged by certain constitutional, legal, political and moral challenges which simply expose the leadership of the party as being less law-abiding than expected.

However, according to Adegoke who alleged imposition of Oyetola on party members, "It is certain that Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cannot mobilise at least 332 personnel to monitor the direct primary election in the 332 wards in the state.

 "If the election would be conducted through and supervised by the compromised officials of government who are already prominent campaigners of the state-anointed aspirant, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, then, military dictatorship cannot be less democratic as the determination of the present government in determining its successor is more than glaring,” he said.

Similarly, an APC Integrity Group in the state has backed the position of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party on the conduct of the governorship primary election in the state through direct primary system.

The Chairman of the group, Dr. Precious Ekundayo, in a statement issued in Osogbo on Wednesday declared that the direct primary system would create a sense of belonging for all members of APC and ensure free and fair primary election.

He said the system would also lead to the emergence of the best candidate for the party, stressing that "any of the 17 aspirants who emerges at the end of the direct primary election will be the best person to lead our great party to victory in the September 22 governorship poll."

Ekudayo who claimed that it was the turn of Osun West senatorial district to produce the next governor, stated that the next governor of the state must come from Iwo federal constituency in the spirit of fairness and democracy.

Also, one of the leading aspirants of party, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, has urged all members of APC to troop out en-masse for the today’s party primary just as he expressed confidence that the party has made adequate provisions for the smooth conduct of the primary, adding that Osun State must serve as the best model for the direct primary.

Nevertheless, happenings in other parties in the state yesterday indicated that the state chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) held a successful Congress where an indigene of Iwo, Mr. Munirudeen Kehinde Atanda, emerged the candidate of the party.

The primary election which took place at the party's secretariat in Osogbo was held under tight security, as members of the party across the state voted for their preferred aspirants.

Ominously though, one of the prominent aspirants of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore was not seen in the premises where the exercise took place.

Addressing party members after the exercise, the state SDP Chairman, Chief Ademola Ishola, told them to disregard insinuation that another faction of the party exists in the state, claiming that he remained the authentic leader of SDP in the state.