A group of elders of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, under the auspices of the APC Unity Forum, on Monday, denied a report that they had endorsed the state governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, to go for second term.
Akeredolu, on Saturday, held a meeting with some members of the group and some governorship aspirants, where it was gathered that an advisory council was constituted to find a solution to the lingering crisis rocking the party.
But the Unity Forum said some of Akeredolu’s supporters in the party took the meeting for the endorsement of the second term for the governor.
The chairman of the forum and former deputy governor of the state, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, in a statement on Monday said the issue of endorsement never came up in the meeting.
According to him, “We did not discuss Akeredolu’s second term ambition, we did not negotiate anything, we did not ask for anything from the governor.
“I have received several calls from people about the outcome of the meeting as wrongly reported, but I want to emphasize that the meeting has nothing to do with Akeredolu at all. I have not collected a dime from anybody, I will never collect anything and I will not sell my people.”
Similarly, the Secretary of the APC Advisory Council and an aspirant of the party, Mr Issac Kekemeke, on Monday said what transpired in the reconciliatory meeting was the inauguration of the advisory council and an ad hoc committee in a bid to resolve the crisis.
He said, “The council unanimously affirmed Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, as the leader of the party in the state and appointed Chief Pius Olu Akinyelure and Isaacs Kekemeke as the chairman and the Secretary of the council respectively.
“The council noted the appeal of Governor Akeredolu to members present to put the past behind them and urged all to work for the unity of the party. The governor’s declaration that the council was not a forum for deciding the candidacy of the party for the 2020 governorship election in the state and the assurance that he would run a more inclusive government was commended.
“The council after an extensive deliberation on the present structures of the party in the state also constituted an ad-hoc committee to consult stakeholders and party faithful across the state and come up with recommendations for its consideration within the shortest time possible.
According to him, the committee members are Chief Olusola Oke (chairman ), Chief Bode Sumonu, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Bamidele Oloyelogun, Mr Wale Akinterinwa, and Mr Jacob Oredola.”
