Ondo guber primary: What APC reconciliation C’ttee will do next – Hon. Peller

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Secretary of the All Progressive Congress (APC) reconciliation committee for the Ondo state governorship primaries, Hon. Shina Peller, has revealed that the committee has entered its next stage of the peace building process, where it will focus on the sustainability of the reconciliatory efforts to ensure victory for the party in the governorship election.

Recall that APC caretaker committee led by Yobe Governor, Mai Mala Buni, has inaugurated a reconciliation committee headed by Niger Governor, Sanni Bello, to unite all the aggrieved party members in Ondo, before and after the governorship primaries held in the state.

Speaking to journalists yesterday at the party Secretariat in Abuja, the Secretary of the Ondo APC Reconciliation Committee, Shina Peller, said “I can tell you that our job has not been completed. Our job has just entered into another stage where we have to make sure that we ride on the sustainability of the reconciliation that we have done, so that we will be able to win in the coming governorship election”.

Narrating what the committee has done, Peller said they had met with the National Assembly members, after which they travelled to the state to have firsthand information on the root course of the crisis in the state chapter of the party, to enable them know how best to proceed.

According to him, “Since the commencement of the reconciliation process, we have had several meetings. First, we had stakeholders meeting at the National Assembly who had been involved in the 2019 election, to give us information on what is on ground.

“After that, we had another meeting to know who are the stakeholders from Ondo state that will be invited to Abuja in order to have the right information about the issues that caused the rift in Ondo state chapter of APC.

“This gave us clear sense of direction, which led us to travel to Ondo state where we were able to meet with all the aspirants, including the incumbent Governor and I can tell you that even from the result from the Primary Election, you can see that the reconciliation committee has done a very good job”, he said.

Hon. Peller, who represents lseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/I Wallowa federal constituency, however dismissed as unusual the conflict of interest in the party, saying that when a party is in government, it is normal for such party to have challenges, hence the disagreement among the party members in Ondo state, which led to the constitution of the reconciliation committee.

He said “As you know if you have about twelve people aspiring to become the candidate of a party in an election, it is possible for some aspirants to share the same idea, that is what led to a lot of people stepping down and coming together to work for the governor”.

He therefore promised that the reconciliation committee is focused at the party’s interest and no other person’s interest, adding that they need to put into consideration some factors that will lead to a clear sense of direction and where party direction should go in the peace building efforts.