By Ayodele Oni
As political gladiators in Ondo state are warming up to take a shot at the governorship, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has given insight into how its flagbearer for November election will emerge.
The APC outlined that all governorship aspirants will be made to face direct or indirect primary election without exemption.
The party maintained that even the incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, if he has ambition, will not get automatic governorship ticket.
Also the zoning arrangement, which has been in vogue among all political parties in the state, which gives the ticket to any of the aspirants from the southern senatorial district is under threat as APC stated that no decision yet on this.
The governorship election has been fixed for November 16 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
APC national spokesman, Felix Morka, made this known on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday.
According to him, the ruling party is democratic and everyone who desires nomination must earn it.
When asked whether the APC would give Aiyedatiwa the right of first refusal ahead of the party’s primary for the November poll, Morka said, “We have not had that discussion, but we are a democratic party, we are a progress party; we don’t give anything to people; people have to justify and earn it.
“And it is not to us they have to justify their suitability, their qualification, or criteria, it is to the people of the state who are our members, who would participate in the direct or indirect primary.
“Whatever preference anyone may have, it is all subject to the democratic decision of the party members who will participate in our primaries.
“We don’t give free gifts in APC; we contest and we compete and we win whatever it is we can get in terms of representation.”
Morka also said he can’t pre-empt whether the governorship ticket would be zoned in Ondo or not. “We are yet to engage on zoning. We will explain to the people if and when we do that.”
Aiyedatiwa, who is yet to make his intention public, will complete Akeredolu’s second term by February 2025, is constitutionally permitted to run again for the office.
If the APC adopts the zoning arrangement on ground, it equally favours Aiyedatiwa.
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