….Warns against backlash on Guber, Subsequent polls
A group of youths under the aegis of Ekiti All Progressives Congress (APC) Youth League has frowned at what it described as “coerced endorsement” by some aspirants in the party.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, the state Coordinator of the group, Femi Daramola, said, “The gale of coerced endorsement in the party by some desperate aspirants is far unbecoming and too alarming”
The group further alleged that: “these political desperadoes even go as far as financially inducing gullible party members to endorse them.
“If this is their own way of representation, then they’ve got to be rejected by their people. Because this desperate bid smacks of incompetence and zero achievement to juxtapose the confidence of those who elected them.
“As an elected representative, forcing people to endorse your candidacy is axiomatic of total failure and leadership unaccountability.
“Endorsement should be a voluntary thing on the part of the constituents; it should not be forcefully demanded. People should be allowed to choose who represents them.
” Enforcing yourself on the people you profess to represent connotes something sinister, and it should be condemned by every lover of democracy. Just as it was stated by the party’s directive that wherever consensus fails, primaries should be held for interested aspirant to test their popularity.
” To us, this ideal of coercive endorsement is not only novel but cheugy, incivilic, and unacceptable; and we therefore appeal to the party to caution individuals who are abjuring or tacitly shirking away from the most conventional way of testing one’s popularity to desist from this conceited enterprise.
“If you had been given the opportunity to represent your people in the last three years, convincing and creditable performances should be the sole paraphernalia for re-election, not endorsement in subterfuge. In saner climes, seeking re-election comes with robust engagement and sufficient conviction for such a request.
“And if not eschewed, this latest trick of coerced endorsement may polarise the party and put things asunder. The party’s leadership- both at the State and national levels are thereby advised to sanction individuals who, out of their selfish interest, misrepresent the position of the party as regards the mode of primaries to be adopted.
“The era of coming in through the back door or a kind of kangaroo endorsement is gone in the party. Recently, there was a video making the rounds where former Governor Fayemi reiterated his stance for primaries where consensus arrangement fails.
“That is an Easter message that resonated well with the party members who are tired of non-performing representatives, just as there is video evidence of their rejection in Omuo, Ado, Ise, Emure, Orin-Ora ward, and Odo-Oro, in Ikole-Ekiti. ”
The group, which further expressed dissapproval on alleged “backdoor endorsement”, stated that:
“As youths, we’re saying no to those who take gleeful delight in enslaving us. This time around, we will not only reject them, but we’ll also disgrace them, as their only stock in trade is to tell lies. In the last three years, they abandoned us.
” Despite their humongous constituency allowances, communities are in darkness, no access to drinkable water, roads are cratered, and constituents’ plights are ignored. If not for lack of conscience, why would a non-performing representative be seeking re-election? These people must have sold their conscience to the devil. ”
The group therefore appealed to the party and its leaders:” to avoid whatever form of imposition, which backlash effect may be transferred to the June 20th governorship election and subsequent ones in the State”.
