Drama continued in the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over membership of the state executive committee of the party with two different meetings, at two different venues, held on Friday over the issue of harmonisation of the list of Excos.
While on the one hand, a meeting convened by Chairman, Oyo APC Elders’ Council, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala held at the Bodija residence of the former governor, another meeting convened by Caretaker Chairman of the party, Chief Akin Oke held at the state party office, Ibadan.
It will be recalled that following the failure of a Wednesday meeting to hold, Alao-Akala had invited stakeholders for a meeting on Friday to harmonise the contentious Excos list.
Alao-Akala had cancelled Wednesday’s meeting when it was discovered that Oke had held a meeting with some party leaders on Tuesday at the party office, a meeting Alao-Akala frowned at, thereby rescheduling the meeting for Friday.
In calling for Friday’s meeting, Alao-Akala had said party leaders across various levels and the Oyo APC State Congress Appeal Panel Chairman will be present at the meeting.
Speaking after the meeting, Alao-Akala decried the absence of Caretaker Chairman of the Oyo APC, Chief Akin Oke asking the national Secretariat of the party to deal with people sabotaging efforts at harmonising the Excos list.
Present at the Alao-Akala-led meeting were Oyo APC State Congress Appeal Panel Chairman, Chief Samuel Ogbuku; p. Pformer deputy governor, Iyiola Oladokun; Chief Samuel Adekola, Pa Elegbede Sunday; Mr Idris Adeoye; Chief (Mrs) Yinka Adebayo.
Also in attendance were, Minority Leader, Oyo House of Assembly, Honourable Asimiyu Alarape; Honourable Isiaka Kazeem; Honourable Olawumi Oladeji; Honourable Jacob Bamgboye; Chief Wale Ohu; Mrs Monisola Tegbe; Alhaji Kamorudeen Ajisafe; Chief M. K Laoye and Chief Mufu Adisa.
Among resolutions reached at the Alao-Akala led meeting were that the October 30, 2021 State congress of the party followed the zoning template approved on Monday, October 11, 2021, by the leaders of the party.
Furthermore, the meeting held that all tendencies were carried along in the composition of the new state
executive members of Oyo State APC according to the adopted zoning template of the party.
A motion for the adoption of the resolution of the meeting was subsequently moved by Minority Leader of the Oyo Assembly, Honourable Asimiyu Alarape, seconded by Pa Samuel Adekola to the effect that the list of excos that emerged at the state congress held on October 30, 2021 stands and is to be submitted to the national secretariat of the party.
Speaking after the meeting, Chairman of Oyo State APC Appeal Committee, Ogbuku said that he was at the meeting held at Alao-Akala’s house as mandated by the national secretariat of the party.
Ogbuku said: “Oyo APC State Congress Appeal Panel has no power to change the list of new state executives of the party who emerged through the State Congress of October 30, 2021, held at Liberty Stadium Ibadan.
“However, my committee has noted all the complaints by some party members. We will submit our report to the National Secretariat of the party.”
Meanwhile, another meeting over harmonisation of list, held at the party office, and led by the caretaker chairman, Chief Akin Oke had in attendance former deputy governor, Chief Moses Adeyemo; Alhaji Bashir Ajibade; Mr C. A. Ajibade; Alhaji Abu Gbadamosi; Pa Olorode Oyede; Chief Kunle Sanda and Pa T.A. Jolaoso who sent in his apology for absence.
Speaking at the party Secretariat, Oke said the meeting of party leaders was held in compliance with a directive from the APC national secretariat.
Oke accused Alao-Akala of polarising the Oyo APC, saying he was surprised that the former governor called Friday’s meeting for the ratification of harmonized lists drawn from all the seven zones at his private residence and invited unauthorized persons.
He described the manner Alao-Akala called for Friday’s meeting as a clear negation of the directive got from Abuja adding that the former governor was aiding those whose only wish is to hijack the party for their own selfish ambitions.
Oke said a list of excos, as signed and adopted by nine out of the eleven members of the harmonization committee who met at the party secretariat, will be forwarded to the National Secretariat of the party.
Oke said: “At the peace meeting which we attended at the national secretariat of our party last week, we were directed to come back home and sort things out. The national secretary, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, mandated us to ask the zonal leaders to revalidate the initial harmonized list to reflect the input of all tendencies. More than 40 critical stakeholders were at the Abuja meeting and the Secretary was very apt in his address.
“The zonal leaders swung into action immediately and they communicated their efforts to me through phone conversations. I must reveal that the national secretariat had a telephone conference with Chief Alao-Akala and myself on Wednesday during which the peace template was re-established.
“I later engaged the former governor on a private phone conversation and we both agreed to a physical meeting on Friday (today) with the zonal leaders to review what they might have done in their respective zones.
“But to my surprise, Chief Alao-Akala issued a statement the same day where he announced that the meeting for the ratification of harmonized lists drawn from all the seven zones would take place in his private residence and invited unauthorised persons in the clear negation of the directive we got from Abuja.
“The question to ask here is; when did the APC become the property of an individual? It seems the former governor mistakes the ‘A’ in the acronym of our party for either Alao or Akala.
“Nevertheless, he remains my brother and a critical stakeholder in our Party unless he is trying to say otherwise. Nine out of the eleven members of the Harmonisation Committee came to the Party Secretariat today (Friday) to do the needful and they all signed the documents generated.
“At this juncture, I must state that my brother (Bayo Akala) should learn to leave above board and stop polarising the Progressive family. I understand he has finally unmasked himself as the brain behind the plot to cause schism in our party and I find this very disappointing.
“If he thinks the best thing to do at a time like this is to make himself the godfather of one out of about 15 governorship aspirants, I wish him well.
“Meanwhile, It is very disappointing that he could employ funny tactics to aid those whose only wish is to hijack the party for their own selfish ambitions but I can assure the whole world that the committed Progressives would not watch and allow them to destroy their heritage.
“What they did at Alao-Akala’s residence today was just to further manifest their undemocratic traits. They brought the same Lawan Gambo and his friends as Appeal Committee members today and we have confirmed that the national Secretariat did not send them to the state for any assignment.
“Just last week, Gambo was put to shame in the open when it was established that the delegate list he brought to us the last time was fake. In the end, justice will prevail and all the anti-democratic forces in our Party will be exposed.
“As a matter of fact, we are in regular contact with the national secretariat of our party and we have been asked to bring the authentic harmonised list of state Executive Committee which would reflect the true wish of the generality of party membership.
“To this end, I urge genuine party faithful and the general public to remain calm as everything will be alright in no time.”
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