Prominent leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have commenced consultation that might culminate in the replacement of the party’s governorship candidate in the November 26, 2016 election in Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu.
Briefing journalists at the National Assembly on Wednesday, Abu Ibrahim, an APC lawmaker assured that the crisis would be resolved before the election.
National Leader of the party and former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu had asked the National Chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun to resign for imposing Akeredolu on the party in the recently held primaries in Ondo State.
Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Timi Frank and Vice President Atiku Abubakar, had also lent their voices to Tinubu’s call.
But in chat with newsmen, Ibrahim, a federal lawmaker from Katsina State, maintained that the APC candidate may be replaced before the election.
He condemned the action of Oyegun, saying he is not fit to be a National Chairman.
“The crisis can be managed. We have conscience of the party. The leadership will sit down and if the chairman was shown that he was wrong we shall reverse it. I think but I am not very sure of what the law days, but I think we have up to two days to election to change candidate. I am not sure of this but I know there is time which we are allowed to change the candidates. So, the party is not just watching and we are working on how to solve the matter and it will be solved.
“Most of all the candidates in Ondo state I know them personally. They are academic people. Each of them can be the governor of Ondo State and they can be executive governor. So, at least we have credible candidates. It is a matter of choice and these are the things that leadership of the party can sit and convince each one of them about”, he said.
Ibrahim noted that it was wrong for any party leader to act in a manner that tended to promote the fear of discrimination against some party members.
He said: “Complaints were taken to the appeal committee. The appeal committee made decisions and passed to NWC.
“But the NWC did not finish their own meeting when the chairman took a different position. So, obviously everybody should get worried because at that he fails to be the chairman of the party because the chairman of the party should be neutral, should try to bring people together.
“If the chairman called all the contestants, sit them down and tried to find a solution, hopefully they won’t even accuse him of anything but if he jumps the gun and then decided to go and make a decision alone while the organs of the party have not taken everybody along, I think that person is not worthy of this kind of leadership.
“He is supposed to be neutral. If I were the chairman I will call all the candidates, I will call Tinubu, I will call Akande and I will call the conscience of South West in our party to all sort it out. It is not his own party, is not personal to him. He was elected by the people of the party if he cannot do it, so you cannot just allow him to do what he wants.”
Analysts say if the crisis is not well handled by the party hierarchy, it may lead to the implosion of the party.
