Unconfirmed reports emanating from Abuja indicate that Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, may have been barred by the APC Screening Committee from contesting the party’s primary election.
The Committee had announced yesterday that 11 of the 12 contestants that were screened were cleared. It refused to disclose the name of the disqualified aspirant, leading to initial speculations that Chief Segun Abraham was the disqualified contestant.
However, sources close to the party secretariat disclosed today that Arakunrin Akeredolu has been disqualified for alleged “anti-party activities” which have polarised the party in Ondo State.
The sources referred to his poor handling of the crisis in the party, and his alleged tacit support for the AA Party, which led to Alhaji Abubakar Atiku of the PDP winning in Ondo State in the 2019 presidential elections. Also, the recent resignation of the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Hon, Agboola Ajayi, and the SSG, Hon Ifedayo Abegunde are said to have “weighed heavily against Akeredolu”.
A source volunteered: “We cannot afford to allow a man who lost his number two and number three men within a week to lead us to war. Where is the troop he is commanding? The elections are months away. No serious party will field a candidate who has lost the confidence and support of his generals. That will be suicidal”.
The Screening Committee is expected to formally announce the final list of cleared aspirants next week.
