The National Leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that none of the party’s governorship aspirants in Oyo State has been disqualified from participating in tomorrow’s gubernatorial primary election.
The clarification followed widespread speculation that a former Minister of Power and one of the leading governorship aspirants, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, had been disqualified from the contest.
Speaking with journalists at the APC Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, on Wednesday, the Chairman of the APC House of Assembly/Governorship Primaries Election Committee in Oyo State, Taofeek Olawale Abdulsalam, dismissed the rumours, stating that all aspirants who purchased and submitted the party’s nomination and expression of interest forms had been cleared to contest.
Abdulsalam, a former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, assured party members of a peaceful and rancour-free primary election.
“We have been here since yesterday, and we are satisfied with what we have seen so far. Tomorrow will be a better day for APC members in Oyo State,” he said.
He added that the committee would only collate and forward the results of the primary election to the party’s national headquarters for official announcement.
“We have no power to announce the results. At the end of the primaries, our responsibility is to forward the results to the national headquarters of the party for announcement,” Abdulsalam stated.
He also noted that the Monitoring Committee would ensure transparency and fairness during the exercise.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the APC Primaries Election Monitoring Committee in the state, Ayo Afolabi, assured party members of adequate monitoring and a credible electoral process during the primaries.
