A stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Mr Gbenga Ogedengbe, has called on President Bola Tinubu to wade into the crisis brewing within the party in the state over alleged secrecy in the compilation of delegates’ list ahead of the governorship primary fixed for October 27 this year.

Ogedengbe, who made this call in a statement made available to Journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, accused Governor Biodun Oyebanji of not being transparent.

He noted that the alleged fake delegates list being compiled contains names of All Democratic Congress (ADC) members and not the APC.

While urging the President to act fast to stop the undemocratic act, Ogedengbe said, “Certainly, anyone who trades in dust should also expect to be paid with stones. Trusting God, the ongoing clandestine compilation of fake APC delegates is another effort in futility.

“Nevertheless, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is largely expected to rise to the occasion in defence of democracy. Governor Oyebanji must not be allowed to submit the names of his ADC members as the validated APC delegates in Ekiti State.

“So, as someone who had openly stood for Tinubu Government in several television interviews in Ekiti State, I do not have any cause not to allow President Tinubu to know about the deadly attack currently being carried out against democracy by Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji in Ekiti State”.

He alluded that occupants of exalted public offices in Nigeria cannot, on their own, go to the streets and find out what is really going on. “Rather, they rely on the few people whom fate had positioned with them in the corridor of power for situation reports”.

“However, the Internet operation of the contemporary world has diluted the gravity of that disadvantage by making it possible for every willing or able citizen to help the government and democracy without much restriction.

“For the purpose of public enlightenment and message clarity, the Ekiti governorship election is next year, July 2026. And, on the premise of that, the APC party has slated its governorship primary for October 27 of this year (2025).

“Governorship primary election, being an in-house process, strictly for APC members alone, the APC national headquarters had to call for a membership validation exercise. As we speak here, the APC membership validation exercise, which is assumed to be ongoing, is nowhere to be found.

“Governor Biodun Oyebanji has ghosted the entire process in secrecy, where no one can ascertain who is validated and who is not validated. How can a governor be the one to assemble some people in darkness with the aim of ensuring that the true feelings of the people do not count?, Ogedengbe asked.