By DADA AYOKHAI
More facts have emerged from the camp of Sen Francis Alimikhena on his possible next political step after dumping the All Progressives Congress, APC, and refusing to take part in the Edo North senatorial primary of the party.
Dismissing as “untrue” rumours that Sen Francis Alimikhena has abandoned his senatorial ambition due to recent fallouts in the Edo North APC, one of his senior aides said the senator is still in the race but has only realigned forces to actualise his senatorial ambition come 2023.
Recall Sen Alimikhena pulled out of the Edo North APC primary and also announced his defection from the party.
In an emotion-laden response, one of the distinguished senator’s senior aides who prefers to remain anonymous told our political reporter that his principal is not yet done with partisan politics and that any moment from now the public would be told of the new political platform on which he intends to square up against Comrade Adams Oshiomole.
Sounding optimistic about the prospect of the senator defeating the former APC national chairman in a free, fair and credible election to realise his third term senatorial bid,.
The aide also took the pains to correct the erroneous impression that his principal “ran away” from the APC because he could not withstand the heat,.
He stated that instead that Sen Alimikhena was unfairly treated by the party he has served so meritoriously, adding the conspiracy to delist his followers from the delegates list and substitute them with “fake” ones to pace the way for their “preferred” candidate was the last straw which compelled the senator to opt-out so as not to damage the remainder of his hard-earned reputation
Sources privy to what transpired at the Edo North APC senatorial primary said the delegates list became a contentious issue, with the Sen Alimikhena camp complaining bitterly about the “fake” names of delegates contained in the list brought to the primary venue whereas the names of his followers have been cleverly substituted and replaced.
Sensing a plot was in the offing to “impose” a preferred candidate, not minding the process, the source disclosed that Sen Alimikhena’s camp at that critical moment decided to pull out so as not to run foul of the law whereby the participant of a party primary is excluded from taking part in another.
The political parties have up till June 6th to conclude their primaries and submit the list of candidates to INEC.
