Akure—ELDERS of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo State, yesterday accused Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of mobilising government machineries to work for his preferred candidates in the Action Alliance, AA instead of All Progressives Congress, APC candidates.
In fact, they alleged that “the governor has commissioned many APC leaders in Ondo State for his personal political interest in the AA.’’
Addressing newsmen in lkare, Akoko North East area of the state, their Spokesperson, Apalowo Thalis, alleged that the governor had disbursed the money meant for Ondo APC to his political allies in Ondo AA.
“As leaders of the party in Ondo State, we no longer trust the governor to lead the party to victory on the 23rd of February 2019. The governor cannot be trusted,’’ he said and called “the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari and the National leadership of our party to the looming threat to the victory of our party in Ondo State.
“The governor has mobilised the machineries of the government of Ondo State and local councils to work for his preferred candidates in the Action Alliance. We consider the report that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu disbursed the money meant for Ondo APC to his political allies in Ondo AA as the height of anti-party activities.
“In Ondo North senatorial district and other parts of Ondo State, the money meant for APC was distributed to members of AA.
“ ln 2015, Ondo North senatorial district contributed 108,062 votes out of the 299,889 votes polled by the APC in Ondo State. The district, being the abode of the progressives, has never been won over by the opposition.
“However, the task of increasing the number of votes polled in 2015 by over 50 per cent is being threatened by presumed friends of our party. Governor Rotimi Akeredolu is the principal threat to the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and other APC candidates in Ondo State.
“It is a known fact that the leadership of AA in Ondo State has complied with the directives of their National leaders to work for the success of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and all PDP candidates in Ondo State.
“Despite this reality, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has continued to finance the AA and its candidates in Ondo State. It therefore indicates that the governor is indirectly funding the presidential aspiration of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
“To ensure the victory of APC in Ondo State, we demand that President Muhammadu Buhari and the National leadership of APC should relate directly with all APC candidates in Ondo State.
Allegations untrue, I’m for APC candidates – Akeredolu
Reacting, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Segun Ajiboye, said the allegations were untrue. He said the governor had been going from one place to the other to campaign for all APC candidates.
His words: “The governor is the leader of the party in the state and he never campaigns against the party anywhere he goes. At the campaign rallies held recently in the three senatorial districts he asked the people to vote for all APC candidates in the elections.
“All these allegations are not true. Let them prove it. I will advise all those that are complaining to go and work for the success of the party, they should not be jittery. The governor cannot do it alone, he has to do it with the candidates themselves, so let them go and do their work.”
