EKITI ACN MEMBERS PROTEST OVER UNANNOUNCED PRIMARIES'

SOME members of the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ekiti State yesterday demonstrated over the alleged non-release of the results of the party's primaries for all elective positions in the state conducted last week.

The protesters, who stormed the major streets of Ado-Ekiti as early as 8.30 a.m., were led by the Integrity Group Chairman, Alhaji Adedipe Isiaka. They also marched to the Governor's Office Complex but were turned away by security agents at the gate.

Apart from singing and calling the state Governor Kayode Fayemi some unprintable names, they also displayed placards, which read: 'Don't change the progressive culture. It means a lot to the progressives'; 'ACN in Ekiti, Ekiti people are watching'; 'Ojudu is a spoiler';  'Dr. Fayemi speak now!'; 'Imposition will break Ekiti'; 'Ekiti ACN, please release our results'.

Speaking with journalists during the protest, Alhaji Isiaka said the protest was informed by the rumour that the party had submitted names of candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) without recourse to the outcome of the results of the primaries.

A week after the conduct of the primaries, the party has not made public the results and announced the winners, a development which has triggered a series of protests by party faithful in the state.

Isiaka added: 'We supported Governor Fayemi to fight injustice for three-and-a-half years and it would be unheard of that the man who claims to be a crusader of justice is now perpetrating injustice against his party. We heard the rumour that the party's leadership has submitted some names to INEC as candidates of the party, which does not correlate with the results of the primaries'.

But reacting to the protests, the governor's spokesman, Mojeed Jamiu, said: 'The issue of primaries is purely a party affair and the governor has no hand in the emergence of candidates in the primaries. The governor as a loyal party man does not interfere in party matters.

'The issue is being handled at party level. And as loyal party members, they should not do anything that could lead to the breach of public peace and breakdown of law and order as everything is being done at party level to ensure an amicable resolution of the challenges thrown up by the conduct of the primaries'.