By Adekola Afolabi
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A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and aspirant for Ondo South Senatorial district, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa has refuted a rumour making the rounds that he was planning to dump the party for another party following the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC to replace his name with the sitting Senator, Yele Omogunwa.
He described the rumour of his defection as baseless and unfounded, emphasising that he was not contemplating leaving the APC for another party as he remains in the progressive with the state governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN.
This is coming as the senatorial aspirant for Ondo North Senatorial district, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, called on the APC NWC to urgently address what he called injustice done to him by approving his candidature for the senatorial seat before it is too late.
The duo among others were rumoured to have been planning to dump the APC over the party tickets.
But another senatorial aspirant for Ondo North, Victor Olabimtan who was also rumoured to have perfected plan to dump the APC could not be reached as all his two phone lines were switched off.
In the primary conducted by the Ondo state chapter of the APC, Aiyedatiwa was said to have won the senatorial ticket for Ondo South, while Abayomi emerged senatorial candidate for Ondo North. Serving senator, Alasoadura also won the return ticket for the Central. However, the NWC of the party returned all the three incumbent Senators, Omogunwa for Ondo South, Boroffice for North and Alasoadura for Central.The development triggered protest among the stakeholders in the state.
In a telephone interview with The Hope, Aiyedatiwa said he has been in the party for long since the days of AD, ACN and now APC and he cannot leave it because of issue of primary election.
Aiyedatiwa who insisted that truly he emerged senatorial candidate of the party in the last primary, also wondered why his name was replaced with the incumbent Senator by the NWC against the wills of the people in the state.
He, however, said as a progressive, he would remain in the APC and continue to support governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu led government in the state to succeed.
“Though we are still engaging the leadership of the party to let them see why our name should not replaced with that of the incumbent in the name of automatic ticket.
“So, all those news about my defection are erroneous rumours. it is not the true position of my person, am a progressive and I remain that. Am only offering myself to serve which is my guaranteed right as a member of a political party.
“They people’s rights should also be guaranteed in making choice of who should represent them and that is all we are saying. There is no defection happening anywhere, that is on my part but I don’t know that of others. But for me I’m an APC person and I remain in APC, am a progressive and I remain progressive. My governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu is a progressive person and we will continue to stand by him”, he emphasised.
Also speaking in a telephone conversation, Dr Tunji Abayomi who is vying for Ondo North Senatorial ticket of the party said his alleged planned defection was a rumour.
According to him, though he has aggrieved that he shortchanged by the NWC of the party, if he wants to defect to any political party it will be made public by him.
“I never speak in inaudible voice. If I want to leave I will call a press conference and say the reason I want to leave”, he stated.
The senatorial candidate, however, called on the NWC to immediately right the wrongs by returning his ticket allegedly given to the incumbent senator, prof Ajayi Boroffice, insisting that he was determined to run for the Senatorial seat.
Abayomi noted that he won the senatorial primary conducted by the party, saying that injustice done to should be corrected immediately before it is too late.
“Am qualified under the constitution to run and nobody can prevent me from running”, he insisted.
