Ondo 2024: ‘He Is Right To Challenge Aiyedatiwa’s Emergence’, APC Members Reject Senator Ibrahim’s Suspension

Ondo 2024: ‘He Is Right To Challenge Aiyedatiwa’s Emergence’, APC Members Rejects Senator Ibrahim’s Suspensio

 

Controversies has trail the suspension of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim by the All Progressives Congress in Igbotako Ward II, Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Wednesday.

While 29 executive members of the party, including the ward Chairman and Secretary, Adetokunbo Adetola, and Sola Omotoye, respectively. in a statement, announced the suspension the senator representing the Ondo South Senatorial District, another group of 55 members of the party, who identified themselves as members of the same Igbotako Ward II executive and in Okitipupa Local Government, disagreed with the purported suspension of Ibrahim as they passed a vote of confidence in the senator.

The group in a statement signed by two local government party executives, Otekaye Sunday and Olowole Musa, conveyed its objection to the suspension after their meeting held on Wednesday.

Osun Defender reports that Senator Ibrahim was one of the aspirants who contested the governorship primary of the party which was won by the incumbent governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

Ibrahim later filed a suit to challenge the outcome of the April 20 APC governorship primary election in Ondo.

Political observers are of the opinion that Ibrahim’s move was the reason for his suspension.

The statement which announced the suspension of the Senator read, “We, the members of the APC Executive Committee of Igbotako Ward II in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, convened a meeting on Monday, May 13th, 2024.

“During our meeting, we deliberated extensively on various issues affecting the progress and development of our party, notably indiscipline and insubordination among some members.

“We have found Senator Jimoh Ibrahim’s actions and activities to be in violation of the party’s constitution, particularly his decision to sue the party as well as his anti-party activities. As such, we have resolved to take appropriate disciplinary action against him as outlined in the party’s constitution.

“Senator Jimoh Folorunso Ibrahim is hereby suspended from the APC, with immediate effect for acts of insubordination and anti-party activities In accordance with Article 21, Section A of the APC Constitution.”

The ward executives recalled that “the National Party Chairman of APC, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, met with all Ondo State governorship aspirants on April 25th, 2024, in Abuja.”

“During the meeting, he urged them to cooperate with the party’s candidate and incumbent Governor of Ondo State, Honorable Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa. Despite this, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim proceeded to sue the governor and the APC, blatantly disregarding party instructions,” the ward executive said.

They alleged that after losing out at the primary, Ibrahim had been hobnobbing with another party in a bid to be their flagbearer in the November 16 governorship election, describing the alleged action as anti-party.

“He (Ibrahim) has engaged in anti-party activities by urging his supporters in Igbotako and Ondo State to join the NNPP, claiming he will soon receive the gubernatorial ticket from them.

“Senator Jimoh has openly declared his intent to disrupt the APC before leaving the party, as evidenced by his actions in the Federal Court in Abuja and his derogatory remarks about the APC in various media outlets.”

However, the pro-Ibrahim elements in the ward rejected the suspension.

They insisted that Ibrahim was right to challenge Aiyedatiwa’s emergence in court, saying the poll was fraught with irregularities.

The group said, “No election took place at Igbotako Ward 2 and indeed all the other wards in the Okitipupa Local Government Area. We are surprised to see votes allotted to contestants by the Ododo-led committee.

“We hereby pass a vote of absolute ‘confidence’ in our leader, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim.”