Ahead of the coming local government elections in Ondo State, a group-Akure Constituency 2 Progressives (ACP), has called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to zone the position of Akure South Chairman, to Constituency 2.
ACP, in a statement by its chairman, Chief Alaba Ogundele, and Secretary, Mr Sesan Ogunleye, averred that Constituency 2 is the most marginalised area in Akure South local council.
It argued that while Constituency 1 where the incumbent Council chairman hails from had produced no fewer than 34 government functionaries, both elected and appointed, Constituency 2 had got only four; all under the current political dispensation.
“While we are not disputing the fact that zoning is not a constitutional rule, we still cannot shy away from the fact that fairness, equity and justice are the needed lubricants to grow our democracy.
“What happened in the last general election is symptomatic of the prevailing circumstances in Akure South Local Government of Ondo State. A particular party, knowing that a northern man of Fulani extraction is about finishing two terms of eight years, still went ahead to pick another Fulani man as its presidential candidate.
“We all know where this grave error has landed the political party today.
“Same way, we do not want our cherished party, the APC, to fall into such a trap by clinging tenaciously to producing the next chairman of Akure from Constituency 1; a ward that has virtually become permanent producer of all key offices, especially that of the office of Chairman,” the group counselled.
It also argued that while Constituency 1 has six wards and Constituency 2, five, the latter still produced more votes than the former in the last presidential, National Assembly and State Assembly elections.
“It is a fact of history that during the last presidential and national assembly elections, Constituency 1 delivered 9,291 votes while Constituency 2 delivered 10, 780 votes for APC contestants, and we defeated all our opponents with very wide margins, ” the group remarked.
Besides, the ACP appealed to elders in the APC in Akure South to give room for the emergence of younger, more active candidates into elected offices at the council level, rather than give virtually all tickets to very old people, “many who use precious time sleeping on duty.”
The group also applauded the administration of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for encouraging inclusive politics in the grassroots, unlike some governors who dictate things without recourse to local factors.
“Never have we heard that the governor imposed any candidate on the party at the local level, and we are, as such, appealing to party elders in Akure South to take a cue from the governor and allow fairness and natural justice to prevail,” the ACP enjoined.