By Ayodele Oni
Submission of forms by governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has ended.
Declaring the exercise closed on Saturday, national chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje told opposition parties in Ondo state that the ruling party will retain its hold on the State at the November governorship election.
He promised the 16 governorship aspirants a level playing ground during the party’s April 20 primary election.
Ganduje spoke through the Deputy National Organizing secretary, Nze Chidi Duru, while receiving the expression of interest and nomination forms of Engr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele to mark the closing of submission of forms for all the 16 aspirants that purchased the forms at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja.
He said the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party is committed to ensuring that the rules guiding the conduct of the primary election are adhered to.
“The party is interested and desirous of conducting a free fair transparent primary in Ondo state.
“For us is the only guarantee that at the end of the exercise out of the 16, we are aware only one will emerge and the rest can extend the hand of felicitation with whoever emerges as we did in Edo state.
“Edo has become a test case, they know that the party is resolute in determining through a process that is free for the candidate of the party to emerge.”
Recalling the outcome of the just-concluded Edo APC primary, the Chairman noted that even “the few that felt they would need to go to court as we would always expect, up till now they were three sixty degrees turnaround.
“They came to the negotiations table, had a handshake and now we have a very formidable team, and we believe that APC would win Edo state. And if we trust that APC would win Edo state, we have confidence that APC will win Ondo state.”
Declaring the submission exercise closed, the Deputy National Organizing Secretary, Nze Duru said by Monday the party will release the schedule and format for the screening of the 16 aspirants ahead of the April 20 primary election.
“Of the 16 of you that purchased the form, 15 have submitted and you have closed the gate as number 16 today marks the formal closure of the first step of the exercise towards nominating and electing the person that would fly the flag of our party in the forthcoming gubernatorial exercise in Ondo state.
“Being the last day of closure of submission of forms and after today, the next exercise would be the screening exercise that would take place on the 11th and 12th of April, next week after that would then the primary’s proper.
“I am happy to inform you that given the way we have run this Secretariat, the organisation directorate, will shortly inform all the aspirants the day of their screening latest Monday, so they don’t need to come and wait endlessly.
“We would basket the aspirants into groups, we would have done it today, but because of the different views of when the holidays would fall, our confidence is that by Monday the government would have released the date for the Salah holiday.”
Governor Lucky Ayiedatiwa and 15 others who picked the expression of interest and nomination forms for the primary election beat the submission deadline.
The aspirants are Engr. Funmilayo Mary Waheed Adekojo and Engr. (Mrs.) Funke Omogoroye Folakemi Judith.
Others are: Olusoji Adewale Ehinlanwo, Hon. Okunjimi Odimayo John, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim and APC National Vice Chairman (South West) Duerimini Isaacs Kekemeke.
Others are Akinfolarin Mayo Samuel, Adewale Okumuyiwa Akinterinwa, Olugbenga Omogbemi Edema and Chief Olusola Alexander Oke (SAN), Gen. Ohunyeye Olamide Felix, Barr Morayo Lebi, Garvey Oladiran Iyanjan, Prof. Francis Adebayo Faduyile and Engr. Ifeoluwa Olusola Oyedele.
 has ended.){kind=link}