Drama As Fayemi Walks Out Of Tinubu’s Meeting With Ekiti APC Guber Aspirants

All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in the South-West on Tuesday evening in Abuja, met with the 33 aspirants contending for the party’s ticket for the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti.

The meeting took place at the Lagos state government house in Asokoro, Abuja.

Some of the party leaders in attendance were Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the party, Bisi Akande, pioneer chairman of the party; Segun Osoba, former Ogun state governor; Niyi Adebayo, former Ekiti state governor; and Pius Akinyelure; zonal vice chairman of the APC in the south-west.

However after about some hours, a mild drama ensued as Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Mines and Steel, who is one of the aspirants, walked out of the meeting, shunning reporters who approached him on his way out.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Akande said the leaders would advise the party’s national leadership on the proposed fresh primary in Ekiti.

“We are going to talk to the party about what the aspirants have said and what we all think is best, and we know that the party will take the right decision.

“We are going to convey our resolution to the party and the party will be able to tell you,” he said.

He added that the meeting took a decision on what would be best for the party and the country generally.

On whether a consensus candidate would be considered for the election, Akande said that may be an option for the aspirants.

“Consensus is already in our Constitution and it is an option; also primary election is already in our Constitution.

“But what we want is the general happiness of the leaders of the party, the contestants and our party,” he said.

He, however, added that the aspirants were asked to think about arriving at a consensus candidate ahead of the rescheduled primary slated for Friday.

The party on Saturday, conducted a primary election to pick its candidate for the Ekiti poll, but the exercise was disrupted by some protesters at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, Ado-Ekiti, venue of the exercise.

The protesters had alleged that attempts were being made by some party officials to compromise the process.

The protest, which turned violent, led to party officials, aspirants and their followers as well as journalists to run for safety as gunshots were heard in and around the stadium.

After the botched primary, Fayemi accused Babafemi Ojudu, a presidential aide, and Bimbo Adaramola, a former member of the house of representatives, of conspiring to thwart the exercise, which he claimed was in his favour.

The party has fixed Friday, May 11, for the governorship primary election in the state, as they are expected to present a flagbearer ahead of the May 14 deadline slated by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Meanwhile, Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka, on Tuesday, emerged winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary election.