Despite coming from Ekiti South senatorial district, which is agitating for zoning, an All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Captain Sunday Adebomi, has urged the party leaders to throw the ticket open to all contenders, irrespective of their zones of origin.
Adebomi, a retired officer in the United States Army, said it was a sign of weakness to demand that the governorship be ceded Ekiti South, stressing that aspirants from the zone should be ready to slug it out with their counterparts from the two other zones.
He made the remarks when he visited the party secretariat in Ado-Ekiti to unfold his agenda to the party leaders. Adebomi had earlier led his supporters on a street procession from Okeyinmi Roundabout to Ajilosun where the party secretariat is located.
Adebomi said zoning has no root in the 1999 constitution, urging aspirants from the South, who were in the forefront of the agitation, to put their house in order to clinch the ticket.
He promised to tackle the menace of youth unemployment ravaging the state, adding that he would be a rallying point for all the youths. He promised to offer a leadership that would turn around their fortunes.
Adebomi was reacting to the agitations by aspirants from Ekiti South, comprising Ekiti South West, Emure, Ise/Orun, Gbonyin, Ekiti East and Ikere Local Governments that the time has come for the zone to rule the state, having been deprived of the opportunity to lead since 1999.
Adebomi advised the party not to shut out aspirants from the Central and North districts, so that the contest can be free, fair and credible.
He said: “Though, I am from the South and I want the zone to produce the next governor, but only a weak aspirant would be rattled by the presence of other contestants from the North and Central. All we need to do is to put our house in order to be able to win the primaries.
“Our party shouldn’t shut out anybody from the primaries. But what we need is a level-playing ground , so that whoever emerges can represent the wish of the people”.
Adebomi regretted that marginalization of the youth in employments and political positions in the State, saying he has come to remedy the mistakes of the past if given the opportunity by embarking on aggressive youth employment, robust healthcare delivery and provide infrastructure.
The state APC Deputy Chairman, Mrs Kemisola Olaleye , assured that the party will not discriminate against anybody, saying all the aspirants be given a level-playing ground.
Olaleye appealed to Adebomi to lead the youth, who were his support base in the most decorous way , so that the party can benefit from their strength of mobilization .
The APC chieftain lauded Adebomi for respecting party supremacy and for not seeing the contest as a do-or-die affair.
