No going back on indirect primary, Yahaya Bello tells Ondo APC aspirants

Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi, says political aspirants will not determine the rules of engagement for the primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo state.

APC named Bello chairman of the Ondo governorship primary election committee, on Thursday.

The primary election is slated for July 20, while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed the gubernatorial election for October 10.

Speaking with reporters after the inauguration of his committee on Friday, Bello said the party will conduct indirect primary election as established by the immediate past national working committee (NWC) of the party.

He said aspirants are not empowered to determine the party’s rules of engagement, adding that laid down rules of the APC will guide the committee’s decisions and actions.

“On the issue of the mode of primary, this has been settled by the previous NWC and ratified by NEC, which gives the opportunity to the state executive committee to choose the mode of primary that they would want. The Ondo Primary election would be conducted via indirect mode,” he said.

“This was the option chosen by the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ratified by the national executive committee (NEC) of our great party in the last meeting. So, we are going for indirect primary.”

The committee chairman said Abubakar Bello, governor of Niger state, is mediating among the aspirants to ensure peaceful coexistence and agreement on the adopted mode of primary election.

The governor urged aspirants to abide by the party’s constitution and also work in harmony to ensure the success of the APC in the gubernatorial election.

“But let me put it this way, from what I know about party politics, especially in APC, I was once a contestant and I had opponents and from what I have come to realise, it is not within the purview of contestants to choose rules of engagement,” he said.

“We follow laid down rules and regulations of the party. As a member, we should abide by the rules and regulations, our party Constitution, the guidelines for the elections, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the Electoral Act and every other rule that guides elections.

“So, it is like going into the general elections now and then APC will be dictating to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that this is the rule we want.

“I do not think it sounds very nicely, but I know at the end of the day that every contestant in this election shall be treated fairly and credibly.

“And we shall have a candidate that is going to be acceptable to all the contestants and the people of Ondo State and we shall come out victorious in the general elections.”

Rotimi Akeredolu, the incumbent governor, and 10 other aspirants were cleared to contest the APC primary election.