Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has reportedly directed the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo South Senatorial District to work for a billionaire businessman, Chief Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate of the party ahead of the 2023 Senatorial election in the district.
Starnews Nigeria gathered that Akeredolu issued the directive during a meeting at the weekend where some aspirants were nominated as candidates of the ruling APC ahead of the forthcoming primaries in the state.
The decision of the governor did not go down well with a majority of party leaders who were said to be rooting for another businessman, Mathew Oyerinmade from Ileoluji/Okeigbo Local Government of the state, Starnews Nigeria has learnt.
A reliable source at the meeting told Starnews Nigeria that some aspirants were also nominated as candidates for the House of Assembly election, House of Representatives and for the Senatorial seats of Ondo North and Central.
Some top leaders of the party who spoke with Starnews Nigeria from across the six local governments of Ondo South have vowed to resist the imposition of Ibrahim on them as Senatorial Candidate of the party in Ondo South.
A former local government boss from Ilaje who spoke under the condition of anonymity said that history may repeat itself if the governor went ahead to impose a candidate on the party as the party did in 2019. “My brother, this will be like Yele and Felder’s scenario if Mr governor imposes Jimoh Ibrahim or any candidate on us, especially where we have popular candidates. Some of these people have built their followers over the year and they have obtained party nomination forms. There will be grave consequences should there be any imposition”, he said.
Another speaker from Odigbo LG interviewed by our correspondent on the telephone said: “That is the governor’s directive. We were all shocked when we heard that. Aketi didn’t even think about the division such directive will create in the party. Unfortunately for the ruling APC in Ondo South, we are in opposition and we want to unseat a performing Senator, a man loved by the masses for doing well. Even when we are not divided, it will require serious hard work to defeat Tofowomo. If the governor now creates a division in the name of satisfying Jimoh, his paddy, it will be an easy ride for the PDP candidate to win the election as it happened in 2019”, the source added.
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