APC group, Aiyedatiwa camp disagree over alleged fake membership register
By Peter Dada
Barely one week to the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, a group within the party has accused the state governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, of producing fake party membership registers and cards in a bid to win the primary.
The group, Ondo Vanguards for Good Governance, in a statement on Saturday by its coordinator, Tade Ojo, alleged that the governor was involved in manipulating the election process due to his alleged desperation to win the April 20 primary.
The group called on the state and national leadership of the ruling APC to caution Aiyedatiwa to prevent him from disrupting the party’s primary process.
“It is important to stress that the leadership of appropriate security agencies has been alerted to this devious act of the governor who has feigned and simulated popularity by procuring fickle endorsements.
“The second in line of the escapades of the governor and his desperate partners, particularly some senior appointees of the state government, is the generation of fake membership registers and printing of fake membership slips to people who are not members of the APC.
“Whereas it is foolhardy to believe that the new fake documents being produced by these anarchists could be impressed successfully on the national committee saddled with the responsibility of conducting the primary election, it is needful that we expose these disruptive acts so that the intentions of Aiyedatiwa’s evil geniuses to either confuse the APC members or cast a doubt on the conduct of the primary election are nipped in the bud.”
However, while reacting to the allegations, the spokesperson for the Lucky Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation, Mr Kayode Fasua, denied the allegation, saying the group was making wrong allegation as it was being intimidated by the popularity of the governor ahead of the primary.
He described the OVGG as a faceless group that would not be allowed to hoodwink the people of the state with lies and wrong allegations.
Fasua stated, “The primary election is an internal affair of the APC, and the party leadership is independent of government. Before the party, all aspirants, including the governor, are equal in treatment regarding campaigns and the internal electoral process.
“Therefore, Governor Aiyedatiwa or his supporters are far removed from this lie of printing fake membership cards, as alleged by jittery aspirants hiding behind fingers.
“Again, the allegation of the governor unleashing terror or destroying billboards is trite and unappealing to the public because the police have never for once heard of such a complaint, much less arrest anyone. They should go drink some water and sleep for their enviously frayed nerves. Hardworking Governor Aiyedatiwa has overtaken them.”
The PUNCH reports that the APC screening for all the aspirants on Friday in Abuja, ahead of the primary of the party coming up on April 20, 2024.
The aspirants that faced the screening were, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Mr Wale Akinterinwa, Mr Mayowa Akinfolarin, Prof Francis Faduyile, Mr Isaacs Kekemeke, Chief Olusola Oke, SAN, Mr Gbenga Edema, and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim
Others are Mr Jimi Odimayo, Brig. Gen. Olamide Ohunyeye (retd.), Mr Diran Iyantan, Ife Oyedele, Mr Soji Ehinlawo, Mrs Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo , Mr Morayo Lebi, and Mrs Funke Omogoroye.
