TheCable

Tanko Al-Makura, governor of Nasarawa state and chairman of the committee overseeing the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in Ekiti state, says Babafemi Ojudu, one of the aspirants who announced his withdrawal on Thursday  would still be on the list for tomorrow’s exercise.

Announcing his withdrawal on Thursday, Ojudu said he did not want to be associated with a mess.

“From what has happened since May 5 to date, it goes without saying this is an unfair contest where the national working committee chairman has clearly demonstrated that he does not care what happens to our dear party now and in the nearest future,” Ojudu had said.

But, while fielding questions from journalists in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital on Friday, Al-Makura said the national working committee (NWC) of the party is yet to communicate Ojudu’s withdrawal to him, and hence, he would treat Ojudu as an aspirant in the rescheduled election holding on Saturday.

“From the media, I learnt one of the aspirants has stepped down, but as far as I am concerned that is not official,” he said.

“For me, to work with that, I need to get an official communication from the national secretariat of the party. As far as we are concerned, we are going to have the election with Babafemi Ojudu as one of the candidates, until there is an official communication to deny him of that status.”

When contacted for reaction, Ojudu told TheCable that he would get in touch with Al-Makura and get back. As at the time of press, he is yet to get back.

After a disrupted primary last Saturday, the APC had initially fixed a repeat for Friday, but Al-Makura was under pressure to shift the exercise, and it was eventually pushed to Saturday.

The exercise will take place at the Damlek Event centre in Ado-Ekiti.

Al-Makura who held a closed door meeting with some of the aspirants at the venue, said his committee has beefed up security for tomorrow’s exercise.

“For the avoidance of doubt, what is paramount in this exercise is the security. The committee in conjunction with all security services in the state has sat down and mapped out every way that this exercise will be successful without any challenges,” he said.

He also said from the documents given to him from the national secretariat of the party 2, 618 delegates are on the list for tomorrow’s primary election.