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Tag: Kekemeke

  • Ondo APC chair: I’ve no preferred candidate

    Ondo APC chair: I’ve no preferred candidate

    •Kekemeke defends self

    ONDO State All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman Isaac Kekemeke yesterday said the allegation that he endorsed an aspirant for the party’s governorship primary was misplaced.

    According to him, he didn’t have any preferred candidate among the aspirants.

    Speaking with reporters after a three-hour meeting with the APC National Working Committee (NWC), Kekemeke said he informed the state executive members over two months ago that he would not be voting during the primary.

    He stressed that this position would enable him to remain neutral and be able to speak to the aspirants after the primary.

    Kekemeke said his preferred aspirant would be the one that will gather majority of the votes after Saturday’s primary.

    The APC chairman added that by his position as the state chairman, he was forbidden constitutionally to have preference for any aspirant.

    He described events of the last one week, leading to the closure of the party’s secretariat, as a family affair.

    Kekemeke said he did not have any misgiving about his purported removal as state chairman.

    He said: “You heard the position of the NWC that it is not aware of my removal as state chairman. I am also not aware of it.”

    Assuring APC members of a successful primary, Kekemeke said being a state controlled by the opposition, the party would face some logistics challenge during the primary.

    He said the challenges would be overcome. Kekemeke said about 3,000 delegates for the primary were ready to do the needful and elect the flagbearer.

    On the chances of the APC at the election against candidates of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP), he said: “SDP is not in Ondo State. As for the PDP, we are aware that it is factionalised.”

    One faction has held its primary and the other faction will soon hold its. When it comes to campaign period, we know what to tell the people of Ondo State. We have the Makarfi-led PDP and Sheriff-led PDP at the moment. So, let us wait and see.”

    APC’s Deputy National Chairman (North) Senator Lawal Shuaibu said the meeting was called to brief the Ondo State executive of the decisions reached between the NWC and aspirants for the Ondo primary.

    According to Shuaibu, the Ondo State APC leaders were in agreement with the decision and pledged to abide by it and ensure the success of the election this weekend.

    Those who attended are Deputy National Chairman (South) Segun Oni; National Vice Chairman (Northwest) Inuwa Abdulkadir; National Organising Secretary Senator Osita Izunaso; and Shuaibu, who presided over the meeting.

  • Ondo APC crisis: Southwest APC chairmen back Kekemeke

    Ondo APC crisis: Southwest APC chairmen back Kekemeke

    •Chieftains: party ’ll conduct free, fair governorship primary

    The Forum of State Chairmen of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Southwest Zone has backed its embattled member in Ondo State, Isaac Kekemeke.

    It called for calm among APC members in the state.

    The forum, in a statement yesterday, said it would not support the idea of calling for a new chairman at this critical time because Kekemeke had worked hard for the party’s popularity across the state.

    The statement was jointly signed by the chairmen in the five other states in the zone: Chiefs Oladele Ajomale (Lagos), Akin Oke (Oyo), Gboyega Famodun (Osun), Jide Awe (Ekiti) and Roqeeb Adeniji (Ogun) and the Zonal Secretary, Mr. Ayo Afolabi.

    It expressed concern about the crisis and appealed to members not to allow the fifth columnists to infiltrate the party with the aim of preventing it from winning the forthcoming election.

    Allaying the fears that the primary might be manipulated in favour of any particular governorship aspirant, the forum emphasised that Kekemeke would not have any role to play in the primary because the party’s national leadership would conduct it.

    “We like to state that the party will conduct a free, fair, open and credible primary election devoid of any interference from any quarters as was done in Kogi and Edo states.

    “The state party chairman has no role whatsoever to play in the process and conduct of the primary election as the team to conduct the primary will be put together by our party’s national headquarters.

    “Up till now, Kekemeke had performed creditably well in mobilising the party. He and his state executive had increased and expanded the party’s acceptance to the generality of the people of Ondo State. The party will, therefore, not be favourably disposed to any clamour for the change of its structure and leadership at this critical time.

    “We appeal to all our party members and the governorship aspirants in particular to remain calm, prevail on their individual supporters to allow peace to reign for the conduct of a transparent primary election that will usher in a candidate that will be acceptable to the generality of the people of Ondo State,” the statement read.

  • ‘Kekemeke still Ondo APC chair’

    ‘Kekemeke still Ondo APC chair’

    The All Progressives Congress [APC] South West Chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure, yesterday said Hon, Isaac Kekemeke still remains the party chairman in Ondo State.

    Akinyelure, who spoke to reporters on phone, said nothing has changed, saying at the appropriate time the party would look into the matter.

    Also, the embattled chairman, Kekemeke, said he still remains the authentic chairman of the party, saying only the National Executive Committee of the party has the legal power to remove him.

    Kekemeke, who spoke to reporters at his residence in Akure, the state capital, said those aggrieved members, who signed his removal letters were  angry just because he had not allowed them to loot the party’s treasury.

    He said “It means we have entered the second scene of the drama. I did say, it was a drama but that was act one, scene one. It appears to have moved to act two. If this people have within one week appointed two chairmen that showed it was a real drama.”

    He adds that “My only fear is that I am beginning to suspect that there are fifth columnists that are trying to weaken the party and create imaginary divisions within the party so that they can go to another party.”

     

  • We’ll conduct credible primary in Ondo, says Kekemeke

    The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC)Isaac Kekemeke has reiterated his determination to ensure credible primary election ahead of the November 26  governorship poll in the state.

    According to him, the election to determine the party’s flag bearer would be even more acceptable than that of Edo State which attracted positive accolades by the people within and outside the state.

    He spoke in Akure, the state capital, during the declaration of former senator representing Ondo Central District, Ayo Akinyelure, as governorship aspirant under the platform of the APC.

    Over 50 aspirants will participate in the party’s primary election, which is to produce the candidate of the party.

    Kekemeke debunked the rumour that the state executive has a particular candidate, stressing that over 3,000 delegates would determine the candidate of the party.

    He urged the delegates and supporters of the party to put the interest of the party in their minds and ensure the victory of APC in the coming election to bring the desired change to the state.

    While declaring his intention to run for governor, Akinyelure said his interest in the race was to be part of the stakeholders that would revive the state’

    According to him,the state had experienced economic doldrums to the extent that it has ranked among the worst in the southwest.

    The former chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs said “As an oil producing state with special oil derivation funds ,it is so disheartening that the economic management of the state is bad and there is a need to urgently initiate accelerated development of its huge natural resources.

    Akinyelure said”It is the cry for recovering that gingered my thought with some concerned stakeholders in the state and after a vast consultation,I resolved to declare my interests to run the governorship race.

    The politician said he would use foreign investors to develop the massive natural resources across the three senatorial districts of the state ,if he is elected as the governor.

    He said there would be employment and re-deployment of human resources into developmental projects such as granite and bitumen exploration, glass production, cottage industries and large scale agriculture to solve unemployment problem.

    He promised to run an open government where all public interests and stakeholders would be catered for through effective participation in governance.

  • Kekemeke: PDP, LP are dead in Ondo

    Kekemeke: PDP, LP are dead in Ondo

    Hon. Isaac Kekemeke, a lawyer, is the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Ondo State. In this interview with DAMISI OJO, in Akure, the state capital, former Secretary to the Government (SSG) spoke on the party’s chances in next year’s elections.

    How did  you emerge as the APC chairman in Ondo State?

    It was a keen contest. I had 499 votes; my closest rival had 497, followed by an aspirant with 136 and another had 10. I have received delegations from almost all the local government areas with some other interest groups who pledged their support. Upon receiving these delegations, we gave them our vision and mission and told them that the congresses were over. We are now aiming at changing our status from an opposition party to a party in power; from a party outside of government to a party in government; from the street of Akure to Alagbaka Government House; from the streets of various local government headquaters to their secretariats and our new vision is to build electorally prosperous APC in the state.

    Now that you are the chairman, how would you sell your party to the people?

    I think there is a number of reasons why people should vote for us. First is that our party has a manifesto. The manifesto is people-centered; the manifesto is about impacting on the lives of the ordinary Nigerian. The manifesto is about social welfare. The manifesto is about heath. The manifesto is about education. The manifesto is about the development of infrastructure. The manifesto is about providing security. The manifesto is about power so that individuals can thrive. In fact, it is about the fact that government exists only for the people. And that’s what APC governors do all over the country, building roads, providing security, quality education, health services, caring for the elderly, providing jobs. This is all our party is about.

    The second reason is that I do not think that any non-partisan Nigerian will want our country to run the way it is running for another four years.So, for anybody who is not a partisan person, for anybody who is not taking immediate benefit from this government, I think it is almost unreasonable to say we should have another four years of what is happening in our country today. That is a compelling reason why I think people should vote for our party. At least, let’s have change. Let’s move on. The PDP has done its best for almost 15 years. Let them get out.

    Many people believe the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN )performed woefully in the last governorship election in Ondo State due to some reasons. What is your plan ahead of next year’s and 2016 elections?

    The ACN lost because it didn’t have structures here and that they started late, and maybe, a number of other factors. Don’t forget the APC has new people from the PDP, new people from the Labour Party and new people from the legacy parties. It is now a mega party. What we will do differently is that we have started to build our structures. We will mobilise the people. We will run an organised campaign. We will be transparent with forms. And of course, the process of picking our flag bearer will be decided according to the constitution and the guideline of the party. We are going to do a number of things differently. We have many more people now; we have much more commitment than before.

    How can you rate  APC governors, particularly in the Southwest? Do they deserve second term?

    The philosophy of our party is the well-being of the people. You can almost be sure that, rather than becoming non-functional, I know they will gear up and want to work hard. I think there is an unsaid desire to leave a legacy for posterity and for generations to come. That’s the difference between those who served under the APC and those who served under the PDP who are just about power and power alone.Our governors are performing everywhere apart from the Southwest and they deserve second term.

    What are your chances of winning elections in Ondo State?

    Our chances are high. Our party has become a destination of choice for many people in other political parties, for many people in the government, both at the state and the federal. I receive calls. I hold meetings almost every other day with people in those parties, expressing their desire to join and team up with us. Here in Ondo State, the Labour Party is dead. Our Iroko leaves have continued to wither because there is no more water to supply the Iroko tree. It’s just a matter of time to get him off there. The administration in the state is already deteriorated. The PDP is in coma. The only living party is the APC. So, people are coming and we are trying to put our house in order. We will take over government. We will get united. We will expand and we will win.

    I am appealing to the citizenry in the state to keep faith with the APC for the betterment of the people and the country. We are embarking on mobilisation tour to all the 18 local government areas to sensitise people on the need to embrace the progressive party that has a people-oriented programmes.

  • ‘Kekemeke best for Ondo APC ’

    ‘Kekemeke best for Ondo APC ’

    An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Ondo State, Prince Boye Ologbese, has lauded the emergence of a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Isaac Kekemeke, as the party’s chairman.
    He described the development as a new dawn for greater transformation.
    Ologbese said: “We strongly believe that the emergence of Kekemeke and his team will reposition the party. We are confident of Kekemeke’s leadership qualities, going by his antecedents. He is capable of leading APC to victory in 2015.”
    Another APC chieftain, Ambassador Bayo Yusufu, said: “I have worked with Kekemeke in the past and I know what he is capable of doing. He will harmonise the party and fortify it to win elections.”