"Whether they like it or not, we are going to adopt direct primaries in this state," the lawmaker said.
Bamidele Baderinwa, a lawmaker representing Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency of Ondo State at the House of Representatives, has disagreed with the adopted indirect primary system of electing the candidates of the party in the forthcoming elections.
Speaking with journalists in Akure on Saturday, Baderinwa described the decision of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and some chieftains of the Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) to adopt the indirect primary system to choose candidates for the 2019 elections in the state.
He also alleged that the Akeredolu-led Ondo State APC is opposed to the ongoing restructuring of the party.
He said: “No one can push us out of the party. We remain bona fide members of the APC. Akeredolu and [Ondo APC chairman, Ade] Adetimehin cannot push us out. Rather, they will leave the party for us. Whether they like it or not, we are going to adopt direct primaries in this state.”
Similarly, the APC Unity Group, a factional group in the party, has also insisted that the the party will conduct direct primaries.
Chairman of the group, Idowu Otetubi, said: “We are not surprised at the stand of Akeredolu and his hand-picked state executives. We know that they are afraid and have a phobia for contests. All they want is to be hand-picking candidates for the party which shall be counterproductive.”
However, Ade Adetimehin, the Ondo State APC chairman, had said they adopted indirect primaries and that there was no going back on the issue.