…Urges party to learn from 2015 PDP mistakes

Says, ‘President will defeat opposition party again’

From WOLE BALOGUN, Ado-Ekiti

A member of the seventh House of Representatives, Hon. Opeyemi

Bamidele, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari would not subvert

the All Progressives Congress (APC) constitution or muzzle other

aspirants to emerge the presidential candidate of the party in 2019, but allow due process to take its course.

Bamidele, apparently aligned with the position of the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju

Bola Tinubu, that due process of the law will be strictly complied

with for Buhari to seek reelection saying, “This will further

distinguish the President as a thorough-bred democrat who believes

that sovereignty lies with the electorate”.

He expressed confidence that President Buhari will defeat other

interested aspirants to win the primary, if the National Executive

Council (NEC) did not adopt him as the sole candidate.

Former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, had declared interest in the

ticket while others may likely join the fray before the primary.

In a statement in Ado-Ekiti, on Thursday, Bamidele, an APC governorship

aspirant in Ekiti State, added that the APC must learn from the

Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) self-destruct before the 2015

presidential election, which former President Goodluck Jonathan had

lost catastrophically .

“Before that election, former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido

and the son of the late Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa were

interested but the party decided to adopt Dr. Jonathan as the PDP’s

sole candidate.

“Though, President Buhari enjoyed electrifying popularity at that

Time, but poor management of that crisis also affected the PDP . So,

the APC must learn a lesson from that.

“Taking cognisance of the wars President Buhari has waged against

corruption and Boko Haram insurgency and the reposition of the already

recessed economy when he took off, one can’t doubt the fact that he

merits reelection, even automatic ticket but the party has a process

through which a candidate must emerge.

“President Buhari emerges through the product of the law and the law

must apply for him to seek reelection to avert crisis in our party,

because experience they say is the best teacher. We shouldn’t take the

perilous path taken by PDP”, he said .

Bamidele added that President Buhari ruling the country for eight

years will stabilize the country in terms of security and economic

development.

“Let the APC holds the primary ten times, ten times President Buhari

will win. APC stands on a tripod- Buhari, Tinubu and members of the

party and all the three are backing him and his government, so there

is no cause for alarm”.

Bamidele urged Chief John Oyegun-led National Working Committee to

correct the mistakes noticed in Anambra election, which Governor

Willie Obiano won during the party’s primary in Ekiti.

“Some members, particularly Senator Andy Uba expressed disapproval

over the conduct of the primary. The party was right by setting up

committee to do proper appraisal of the Anambra election, so that the

party can do better in the handling of Ekiti election”.