The All Progressives Congress has said the ruling party did not endorse Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, for a second term in office as being reported.
A group within the party identified as the Unity Mandate Agenda party had disclosed that the National Working Committee unanimously endorsed a “second term ticket” for Governor Akeredolu shortly after he visited Abuja where he met with the party’s executives.
Lanre Issa-Onilu, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, who stated this on Tuesday in a statement described the purported endorsement has a “grievous falsehood” to create disaffection among members.
He said the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and the party’s National Working Committee have no powers to endorse any candidate.
He said, “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 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 the 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 the ticket.
“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.”
