Sheath your swords for party, Ganduje tasks aggrieved Ondo APC guber aspirants

.As stakeholders resolve to work together.

.Aiyedatiwa urged to run inclusive administration

From Cyril Mbah, Abuja.

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was on Thursday compelled to summon a meeting of all the aspirants who participated in the April 20, 2024 Ondo Primary Election to broker peace and douse the simmering tension generated by the outcome of the promaries among members of the party in the state.

Fourteen, out of the sixteen aspirants, including two female members and the Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, were present at the NWC Hall, APC Secretariat, during the opening ceremony for the meeting which was held behind closed doors after newsmen and APC staff were ordered out of sight and out of hearing.

Addressing the aspirants at the opening ceremony, the National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje tasked the aspirants to sheath their swords, put the party and the interests of Ondo State first before protesting  over their failed ambition.

The fatherly and adroit leadership traits of Dr. Ganduje clearly showed  themselves when the chairman stood up to address the gathering as he carefully picked his words like a professional peace maker and bridge builder, recalling that he personally contested and lost governorship elections several times in Kano before winning at the last attempt after sixteen years.

Ganduje said, “I have to thank you for honouring our invitation in the shortest time and also considering the emotional distress as a result of the primaries conducted few days ago. But, since we are all democrats, we are used to the ups and downs of politics. So, I have to thank you for honouring our invitation.

“The purpose of this dialogue, this meeting is to appeal to all of you. The purpose is not to dwell on what has happened or what has not happened, what is correct, or what is not correct. If we dwell on those things, then it will lead to what we call; ‘too much analysis leading to paralysis.

“If we are to dwell on that, there are professors, among us, there are also lawyers. Some are engineers, even the female gender is being accommodated. We who are less educated, the controversy will not favour us considering the galaxy of politicians who are here.

“So, our own is to appeal to you. We in the party here are both insiders and outsiders. So, when you say something is inside and also outside you have to think about that. You have to think about that controversy.

“We are insiders because it is our party and that it is a ruling party in Ondo state and we are the managers of our party in Nigeria. So, we are an interested party even if it is a local government election. “We are outsiders because this state belongs to you (the contestants), this party belongs to you. I am sure your prayer is that our party, your party should be the ruling party in Ondo state. I think this is our common focus, our party should be the ruling party in Ondo state.

“It is already a ruling party. Our prayer is that it should continue to be a ruling party in Ondo State. So, you see, we are here to appeal to you so that we succeed in maintaining this state as an APC state. I appeal to you, we are all practitioners in this game, in this politics, in this agenda.

“If you recall, I contested for governorship in 1999, I lost and I couldn’t become a governor until after 16 years. I was patient enough. I was praying and I eventually became a governor after sixteen years. So, I cannot say that you are aspirants that lost. You are aspirants that will be successful tomorrow,” he concluded.

A statement or communique may be issued by the party after the meeting.

Recall that the Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, was declared winner by the Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo Primary Election Committee.

Meanwhile, Aspirants in the April 20, 2024 Ondo State APC Primary Election and other stakeholders in the state have jointly agreed to work together for the growth of the All Progressives Congress (APC) especially the success of the party in the November 2024 governorship election.

The stakeholders also directed the state Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to immediately institute an inclusive administration that will ensure including nominees of the other aspirants in the primary election in the government.

These were part of the resolution reached at the stakeholders meeting with the National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and members of the party ‘s National Working Committee in Abuja on Thursday.

Addressing newsmen on the outcome of the meeting, the Ondo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Ade Adetimenyi said there are no divisions among the rank of the aspirants or in the  party in the state.

He stated that the aspirants have resolved to continue dialoguing with the APC national leadership and among themselves to ensure that peace prevails in the party.

Four of the aspirants accompanied the state chairman to the press briefing and assured that the outcome of the meeting which lasted for about two hours was satisfactory to them.