By Alaba Ajibade – The Police in Ekiti State on Monday sealed off the state Secretariat of the All Progressive Congress (APC) following escalation of crisis arising from last Saturday inconclusive governorship primary in the state.
The law enforcement agents moved into the premises when protesters loyal to Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Kayode Fayemi, who is also one of the aspirants in the botched primary besieged the secretariat on the Ajilosun- Ikere road and announced the dissolution of the Jide Awe led state executives of the party.
The protesters instead announced a caretaker committee headed by Micheal Egunjobi, accusing the Mr. Awe led Exco of favouring one candidate over others in aborted poll.
It also expressed disapproval over the conduct of the members of the State Working Committee.
The aggrieved APC members carried various placards with different inscriptions.
Citing on Article 21 (7) of the party’s constitution, the protesters announced the dissolution of the SWC and set up a Caretaker Committee headed by the APC Chairman in Ise/Orun Local Government Area, Michael Egunjobi.
Agency report said the protesters also laced the gate of the party with fetish materials made from palm oil and egg.
Mr Awe, who was said to have narrowly escaped assault by the irate party members, was ferried to safety from the secretariat by mobile policemen.
As at the time of filing this report, police vans were sighted still stationed at the secretariat which was under lock and key.
Meanwhile, no fewer than 27 aspirants have rejected the position canvassed by the National Working Committee of the party that the botched primary would continue from where it ended on Saturday.
Some of the aspirants led by former Governor Segun Oni on Monday met at a location in Ado Ekiti, the state capital and rejected the position of the NWC that the committee which conducted the primary should return and complete the exercise.
The aspirants, who were reacting to a statement credited to the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi, said that the ballot cast on Saturday in five local governments before the violence erupted had been rendered invalid.
Among those present at the forum, apart from Mr Oni, were Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Opeyemi Bamidele, Bimbo Daramola, Senator Ayo Arise, Senator Gbenga Aluko, Kola Alabi, Muyiwa Olumilua, Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, Debo Ranti Ajayi and Bayo Orire.
The spokesperson for the group, Mrs Yaya-Kolade, said the fact that the votes were not counted, collated and announced at the venue, had rendered the process invalid.
She declared that the 27 aspirants would not accept attempts to validate unverified results of the few delegates that had cast their votes on Saturday neither would they accept the Governor Tanko Al-Makura-led committee again as umpire.
