A group, Ondo State Progressives Network, has urged Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti to steer clear of the July 20 All Progressives Congress (APC) primary in the state.
The Coordinator of the group, Mr Tunde Ajayi, made the call in a statement on Monday in Akure.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there had been calls for Direct Primary to Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu by opposing camps within the All Progressive Congress (APC).
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Ajayi said that there have been pressure on the leadership of the APC to impose indirect mode of the primary against the wishes of the majority of the party member in the state.
“The attention of the Ondo State Progressives Network has been drawn to series of moves to lure some national leaders of the APC and some governors to mount pressure on the national working committee to announce an indirect primary for the election.
“The Network, therefore, advise that leaders of the party in Ondo State and at the national level should be allowed to act appropriately.
“The group also condemn any move which will thwart the unity of the party in the state,” he said.
The coordinator advised Akeredolu to adopt the party’s leadership process rather than seeking to get an indirect primary process.
“We further appeal to the leadership of the party and members of the national working committee not to be intimidated.
“Only a direct primary process in the party’s guber primary can restore the hope of APC faithful in the state and move the party to the next level,” Ajayi said.
Meanwhile, Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Donald Ojogo, earlier in a statement, said that the governor was not afraid of direct primary.
“First and foremost, we have not come out as a government that we are opposed to direct primary; neither had the governor expressed aversion to same.
“We’re not afraid of any mode of the primary. I will want the public to know that the call for the direct primary is to put out a narrative that the governor is opposed to direct primary. In fact, we’ll even prefer a direct primary.
“For those who clamour for direct primary, the message to them is that Akeredolu is more prepared for any mode of primary than those who clamour for it,” Ojogo said.