There is palpable dilemma in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Oyo state over the modalities for the emergence of candidates to fly the party’s flag in the forthcoming local government election.
This was brought to the fore at the enlarged meeting of party members held in Ibadan on Tuesday, where while some members insisted on consensus selection of candidates, others called for the conduct of primaries as contained in the party’s constitution.
At the meeting attended by state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and Oyo APC Chairman, Chief Akin Oke, and other party members, some party members maintained that free and fair primaries be conducted whereby candidates emerge from ward to local and state level.
On the other divide was the argument that leaders of the party from the ward to state level be allowed to regulate the primaries cum selection of candidates for the election.
Speaking at the meeting, Governor Abiola said the party had to be united and all agitations calmed before the local government election holds.
While noting that there were agitations over the selection of delegates, Ajimobi gave the assurance that primaries would hold.
“There will be primaries. The argument is over the selection of delegates. Some people thought that it is a free for all but delegates are chosen by consensus. Sometimes, delegates themselves go for primaries but some people want party executives to be the delegates.”
“We will conduct local government election and we will win the election but there must be unity in the party. There will be agitations but we have been able to calm them down and we will have local government elections very soon.”
“We are in court now and we believe we will be out of court in another three months and we will have local government elections immediately after that,” Ajimobi said.
and then