The Chairman, Elders Forum of All Progressive Congress (APC), Ife Central Local Government, Prince Felix Awofisayo, has sued for peace as the party prepares for its primaries.
Awofisayo gave the charge during a peace meeting with aspirants held at his residence, Parakin, in Ile-Ife on Wednesday.
He gave thanks to God for giving him the privilege to organise the meeting, adding that if he looks back at the history of Ife politics, especially the 2002 crisis, no one would like history to repeat itself because Ife is one big family.
“We thought that we should call all the aspirants from Ife Central Local Government to a dialogue where they can express themselves and tell us their aspirations and to let them know that only one aspirant would go for House of Assembly and House of Representatives respectively.
“And others should not feel rejected, for Olympics is not to win, but to participate, meaning that politics is not a do or die affair, but that they should accept God’s will for their lives,” he stressed.
Awofisayo assured them that those that would not emerge as winner at the primaries level will not be left out in the scheme of things at the party level.
He stated that the primaries election is coming up soonest and urged all the aspirants to maintain peace and tranquility in Ife town.
He noted that they are at the central government and if there’s any crisis in the local government, it will surely spread across other local governments which is what they are trying to prevent.
One of the contestants, Mr. Ayoola Olajolo, who is contesting for the ticket of the party for the House of Assembly election, who spoke with pressmen, commended the organisers of the meeting for making the peace advocacy move.
Olajolo explained that all aspirants have different temperaments, noting that the meeting was set up as an eye opener for them to pursue their aspirations peacefully without any violence to the party members or outsiders.
According to him, they were being encouraged to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship no matter who the members are supporting insisting that they must not make the contest a do or die affair.
He admonished all candidates to rally round the winner, pointing out that only one candidate would win the ticket out of the four contesting.
Also, a contestant for the party’s ticket for the House of Representatives election for Ife Federal Constituency, Hon Olanike Omoworare, said that the meeting was set up for them to know the worth of each aspirant that obtained forms for the party’s ticket for the position and to allow peaceful coexistence among them.
Omoworare added that since everything was done fairly and appropriately by not just picking someone without the others’ consent, the problem had been mostly solved.
Another contestant for the House of Representatives, Ife Federal Constituency seat ticket, Hon Eluyera Elugbaju, stated that the step taken by the Elders Forum was a welcome development.
Eluyera admonished all aspirants to the posts to take everything easy and believe that it is only God that can enthrone and embrace anyone selected without any grudge.
