An All Progressives Congress chieftain in Ekiti State, Chief John Filani, has called for an urgent reorganisation of the party ahead of the 2018 governorship election.
Alleging that APC leaders in the state were pursuing selfish agenda, he said the party as presently constituted in the state could not defeat the Peoples Democratic Party in any election.
Speaking with reporters in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, he advised party leaders to field a “home-based candidate” who is accessible and ready to listen to them and Ekiti people in the next governorship poll.
Filani called on former governors; Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, Chief Segun Oni and Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who are all in APC, to convoke a “solemn assembly” that will involve all members to resolve their perceived grievances.
He urged the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other well-meaning leaders to intervene and work together to reposition the Ekiti chapter.
Filani said, “An average member of the APC in Ekiti State is not happy with the way the leadership of the party is being run. The state exco has disconnected itself from the masses; we need to do more work if we want APC to regain power in Ekiti in 2018.
“Going by the present situation of our party, if the APC is not careful, the PDP may win again in 2018. We have 177 wards in the state and hardly can we boast that our members are happy in 160 out of the 177 wards.
“At the moment, PDP has more members in the grassroots than the APC in Ekiti and if election is held today, 16-0 may repeat itself because the exco members are not making party members happy.
“The APC leaders in the state are very selfish and are pursuing personal interests and that is why I am scared that unless we put our house in order, we may lose the governorship election again in 2018.”