Ondo 2020: Neither NWC Nor Its members Have Power to Endorse Any Aspirant– APC

…Says such endorsement should be ignored

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has refuted the alleged endorsement of Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for a second term by the National Chairman of the party.

The party said its did not endorse Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu as credited to a group “Unity Mandate Agenda”.

The refutandum was contained in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu.

He stated that the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the Party’s National Working Committee (NWC) have no powers to endorse any candidate.

Onilu described the purported Akeredolu’s endorsement as a grievous falsehood intended to create disaffection among members of the party.

The National Publicity Secretary therefore urged members of the party within and outside Ondo State and to ignore the unfounded report, saying it’s expected that mischief makers would do their worst to impugn on the process of elections as governorship primaries in both Edo and Ondo States move closer. As always, they would fail in this current campaign, he added.

Read the full statement below:

Re: NWC Members Lack Power to Endorse Aspirants

Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to a group “Unity Mandate Agenda” alleging that the Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has been “endorsed” for a second term by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the Party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

This is indeed a grevious falsehood intended to create disaffection among our members.

We hereby refute this spurious statement and wish to state unequivocally that neither the National Chairman nor any member of the Party’s National Working Committee (NWC) has the power to endorse any aspirant.

The APC is not in the business of endorsing aspirants. As a progressive party, our ultimate guiding principle is strict adherence to the tenets of participatory democracy.

Our members in Ondo State and elsewhere should ignore this unfounded report. As we move close to governorship primaries in both Edo and Ondo States, it should be expected that mischief makers would do their worst to impugn on the process. As always, they would fail in this current campaign

Our responsibility as the National Working Committee is to provide level playing ground for every eligible aspirant to contest for the ticket.

The Party’s schedule of activities for the Edo and Ondo Governorship elections have been released. Our focus now is to ensure proper screening of aspirants, due diligence and conduct free, transparent and credible primaries to elect the Party’s candidates for both elections.

Our members should continue to count on us to provide responsible leadership and act strictly by the rules at all times.

SIGNED:
Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)