AS the governorship aspirants of the All progressive Congress in Ondo state awaits the mode of the primary to be adopted for the election, the Pioneer State Chairman of Party, Hon lsaacs Kekemeke, has said that any other mode of primary apart from Direct mode, will produce an unpopular candidate.
Kekemeke said that adopting any other mode will “prevent party members from picking most popular among the 12 aspirants in the party during the primary election.
The screening of the ten aspirants started on Wednesday in Abuja and was expected to end today.
Kekemeke was reacting to the speculation that the party had adopted indirect primary for the July election.
He explained that direct primary had the capacity to sensitise and mobilise party members for eventual inter-party election.
“It gives party members sense of obligation to deliver, giving them a moral responsibility to work for the party’s candidate because they were involved in the selection.
“Direct primary provides level playing ground for all aspirants and therefore promotes fairness, equity and justice.
“It removes influence of money, eliminates cash-and-carry and removes ‘kidnap syndrome’ whereby delegates are kidnapped and kept in a place,”
Kekemeke said there was a lingering problem arising from the 2018 congresses, adding that direct primary would remove controversy and allow participation of all registered party members.
The former Secretary to the State Government SSG said direct primary would also portray the party’s national leadership as consistent and predictable, having adopted it in previous shadow polls in Lagos, Osun and Edo states.
“In fact, it’s COVID-19 protocol compliant; why would they gather 2000 or more delegates in a place as against smaller gatherings in their various wards.
“Any politician who asks for the disenfranchisement of his party members is unpopular, undemocratic and should be rejected,” he said.
On the chances of the ruling party in Ondo State in view of its performance during 2019 elections, Kekemeke said the party, though not cohesive, remained the most popular party in the state.
He, therefore, promised to deploy his experience in governance and party administration to bring all party members together as a family if elected.
Vanguard