A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and senatorial aspirant for the Ondo North district, Chief Alexander Ajipe, has frowned on an incessant dispute between the Federal Government appointees against incumbent governors in the state.

He also described the direct mode of primary as the most credible system for political parties to select their standard bearers.

Speaking at the newsroom of the Ondo State Radiovision Corporation (OSRC/Orange FM) in Akure, the state capital, during a platform tagged, ‘The Circuit’, Ajipe frowned at what he described as prevailing political culture in Ondo State, where fedteral appointees and legislators allegedly form cliques to oppose incumbent governors in pursuit of their personal political ambitions.

He said the late Governor Olusegun Agagu formed a clique against Chief Adebayo Adefarati, while Governor Olusegun Mimiko did the same thing against Agagu.

Ajipe, who called for an end to such antagonism, urged political appointees, particularly those at the federal level, to unite with the governor in delivering democratic dividends to the people.

He said, “I want to say that it is high time we look back, restrain ourselves, and see that there will be a synergy and unity of purpose so that we don’t just continue to fight ourselves.

“Because the truth of the matter is that everybody will get to where he is going to get to. Anybody who knows the story of Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa will know that it is only God that can get you to where you want to get to.’

On whether Nigerian legislators should serve part-time, Ajipe stressed that the country’s peculiar challenges demand full-time representatives, insisting that Nigerians must assess their legislators by the quality of representation delivered.

Speaking on the mode of primary for election, Ajipe argued that when properly conducted, direct primaries grant every party member the opportunity to choose their leaders in a transparent process and as well as to ensure that the people get quality representation.

Speaking on the topic ‘Scaling the Hurdles of Bad Governance through Qualitative Representation’, Ajipe maintained that direct primaries, when properly conducted, offer a cost-effective and transparent pathway for party members to exercise their franchise.

The APC aspirant emphasised that the ideal primary election would allow party members to simply queue behind their preferred candidate, with officials counting them manually and recording the figures transparently.

Ajipe said: “If direct primaries are done the way they’re supposed to be done, then I think it will be the best way to elect either a representative or any of our officers.

” So I want to believe that by the grace of God, we will be able to have people who are patriotic enough to do things the right way, and the most popular candidates will always emerge in different political parties and eventually become the occupier of that particular seat.”

In her remarks, the Chairman, NUJ OSRC/Orange FM Chapel, Odunayo Sawyer, stated that bad governance in Nigeria constitutes obstacles like corruption, which undermines public confidence and impedes advancement, with citizens confronted with development challenges.

According to her, “Our deliberation today compels us to surmount these impediments through resolute and principled representation.

Qualitative representation fundamentally transforms this paradigm; it entails leaders distinguished by proficiency, empathy, and accountability.

“Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s qualitative representation in the Western Region yielded universal education and healthcare, surmounting governance deficits prevalent elsewhere.

“In contemporary Nigeria, this ethos must permeate our National Assembly, legislation that allocates resources to critical sectors and oversight that restrains executive excesses.

On their parts, the Director-General, OSRC Media Group, Kenneth Odusola Stevenson, and the Director, News and Current Affairs, Taiwo Ibitoye, commended the topic as apt, emphasising that qualitative representation flourishes when the media insists upon transparency and unearths malfeasance.