2019: Crisis hits Ogun APC

A crisis of confidence appears to have hit the Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2019 general election, following the summary removal of some local government chairmen of the party in the state.

Petitions already being heard by a committee of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC in Abuja indicated that the state chapter of the party was being investigated over alleged removal of the chairman of Ijebu Ode, Mr Ladi Lekuti;  Ado-Odo Ota Alhaji Azeez Mohammed, and Sunday Akinyemi, of Yewa North  local government chapters of the APC party.

It was gathered that the chairmen were removed following suspicion of clashes between the camps of Governor Ibikunle , and those of Chief Olusegun Osoba, and Senator Solomon Adeola.

Sources in the national secretariat of party said that the reconciliation committee set up by the NWC of the party had listed Ogun as one of the troubled spots in the APC.

Another source said the committee was already treating a petition dated July 19, 2016 from a lawyer, acting on behalf of the removed chairmen, Ajibola Kaka, which  also accused the state chapter of undermining Article 17 of the party’s Constitution.

The letter  quoted Article 17 as indicating that “No officer in any organ of the party shall hold executive position/office in government concurrently.”

It listed four officials of the party in Ogun, who the counsel alleged had violated the article.

Those accused included the state organising secretay, Mr Gbenga Ademosun, who he claimed, occupies the position of Commissioner,  Community Development and Cooperative Societies; Chief Wole Adesiji the state treasurer, who also occupies  the position of Commissioner 1, in the state Universal Basic Education; Toyin Aiyebusuwa, state secretary of the party, who also doubles as Senior Special Assistant on Political Matters to the Governor and the state Legal Adviser, whose name is given as Barrister Taiwo, who occupies the position of a Consultant to the state governor.

But the State  Publicity Secretary of APC in Ogun State, Mr. Sola Lawal said he was not aware of the removal of some party chairmen in any Local Government Area in the state.

He equally said that there is no section or any party of the Constitution of the party that forbids anyone holding party position from occupying government position.

Lawal cited an example of two Council chairmen  that held party positions and government position simultaneously. He pointed out that he equally served as Consultant to Governor Ibikunle Amosun on Communications during his first term in office and at the same time the State Publicity Secretary of the party.

He said one of the Council chairmen also served as deputy state chairman of the party in Osun state.