Kalejaiye, who had earlier stated that the aspirants would not dictate the mode of primary for the party, explained, “There would be 12 delegates from each of the 203 wards; 72 from the state executives. We have delegates from local government areas. We have House of Assembly and National Assembly members as automatic delegates. We also have special delegates.”

In a strategically coordinated opposition, a handful of APC chieftains, under the aegis of Unity Forum, had launched a series of attacks on the governor, but it has been so disunited in its ranks that it failed to produce a consensus candidate against Akeredolu.

Consequently, the 10 aspirants in the group, headed by a former deputy governor of the state and member of APC Board of Trustees (BoT), Alhaji Ali Olanusi, could not successfully raise a consensus candidate to confront Akeredolu today for the party’s ticket.

The forum’s unity of purpose was defeated when the group announced Chief Olusola Oke as its consensus candidate to the chagrin of eight other aspirants, who abandoned him and the group to pursue their ambition independently.

Their hope of individual aspiration was also dashed a few days ago when information trickled in that the national leadership of the party had adopted indirect primary option for the election, thus shattering their hope of a united front against the governor.

Earlier in a statement by the APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, the party affirmed that “the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extra-ordinary National Convention Planning Committee has constituted Primary Election and Appeal Committees. The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello will chair the Primary Election Committee while Emperor Chris Baywood Ibe will chair the Primary Election Appeal Committee.”

Other members of the election committee include Olorogun O’tega Emerhor (Secretary), Alwan Hassan, Chief Samuel Sambo, Hajiya Binta Salihu, Mr. Emma Andy, Dr. Adebayo Adelabu, Abdullahi Aliyu, and Mrs. Margret Ngozi Igwe. Both committees were inaugurated by Buni at APC National Secretariat at 3.00pm on Friday 17 July 2020.

The development sent jitters down the spine of the APC governorship aspirants and their supporters, who thought they would slug it out with the incumbent governor through a direct primary election. Eleven out of the 12 governorship aspirants cleared by Buni rejected the indirect primary mode, except Governor Akeredolu, who, however, noted that he was not scared of direct primary.

They are Olajumoke Anifowoshe, Dr. Olusegun Abraham, Okunjimi Odimayo, Dr. Nathaniel Adojutelegan, Olubukola Adetula, Olusola Iji, Olayide Adelami, Oke, lfeoluwa Oyedele and Akinsehinwa Awodeyi, and Isaac Kekemeke. Deflating all hopes to match up with Akeredolu at the poll today, Buni, while inaugurating the committees in Abuja last Friday, had declared that the primary mode would be indirect to the chagrin of the 11 aspirants.

Leading governorship aspirants like Kekemeke, Oke, and Adelami, who were conspicuously absent at the reconciliation committee meeting held simultaneously in Akure, led by Niger State Governor, Abubakar Bello, were of the view that the reconciliation was a wasted effort. However, they, alongside those that were present at the meeting including Iji, Adetula, Odimayo, and Oyedele, agreed to participate in today’s election despite their slim chances against Akeredolu.