KOGI State Governor Yahaya Bello has been appointed by the Caretaker/Extra-ordinary National Convention Planning Committee (CEONCPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to head a nine-man Ondo State Governorship Primary Election Committee slated for Monday.

The party also approved Emperor Chris Baywood Ibe to head a nine-man Primary Election Appeal Committee.

A statement on Thursday in Abuja by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, said the National Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni, has approved the constitution of the committees.

The committee has Olorogun o’tega Emerhor as secretary, while Alwan Hassan, Chief Samuel Sambo, Hajiya Binta Salihu, Mr. Emma Andy, Dr. Adebayo Adelabu, Abdullahi Aliyu and Mrs. Margret Ngozi Igwe are to serve as members.

Abdulmimuni Okara, an architect, is to serve as secretary to the Governorship Primary Election Appeal Committee, while Mr. Festus Fientes, Mr. Okon Owoefiak, Mr. Abba Isah, Alh. Umar Duhu, Sani El-katuzu, Mrs. Osuere Eunice and Emeka Agaba are appointed as members.

Nabena said both committees will be inaugurated by the Chairman of the APC Caretaker/Extra-ordinary National Convention Planning Committee, H. E. Mai Mala Buni, at the party’s national secretariat today.

A Coalition of APC Support Groups (CASG) has appealed to the National Caretaker Committee of the party to conduct the July 20 governorship primary election in Ondo State through the direct mode as requested by all but one of the 12 aspirants.

Addressing reporters at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja yesterday, CASG’s Chairman (South) Rev. Adebisi Abraham said it would be undemocratic for the committee to go against the position of the majority, stressing that the party would be sending wrong signal if the will of the majority was denied.

The coalition cautioned the party leadership to be mindful of the unfortunate cases of Rivers and Zamfara states, which led to the party losing the states to the opposition.

According to Abraham, “it is high time our party began to do things the right way and constitutionally, to avoid situations where the party will lose election on technicalities, rather than understandable electoral defeats.

“Without mincing words, Ondo State 2020 governorship election is critical to the 2023 general election. Losing the state will be fatal to the chances of APC in the 2023 election.

“Currently there are 12 aspirants vying for the governorship position in Ondo State, 11 of the 12 in a communiqué resolved to go for direct primaries.

Only one aspirant opted for indirect primary. It will be undemocratic for the committee to go against the constitutionally-backed position of the 11 aspirants in favour of one aspirant.

Doing this will send a wrong signal to the whole country about our respect for democracy.”

The coalition called on the committee to avoid the outfalls of the past by adopting the constitutional majority decision that favours direct primary in the coming election.