PHOTOS: Oyo APC factions collapse, commit to unity

The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took a major step in uniting the party as members across all factions of the party converged on Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on Monday, for a meeting ahead of Tuesday’s commencement of the party registration.

The meeting held at the new party’s office, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, saw members resolve and announce a total ban on factions within the party to include LAMISTS, SENACO, PDP Reform and Unity Forum.

Various stakeholders who spoke at the meeting declared that the Oyo APC was now an indivisible family that was poised to win all future elections across all levels in the state.

Among others, the party committed itself to being democratic in all its political activities especially in its party congresses and processes leading up to the emergence of candidates for elective positions.

The meeting saw the setting up of various committees with mandates to galvanise human and financial resources for its membership registration, revalidation exercise and ensure a virile Oyo APC.

Those who attended the meeting included former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala; party caretaker chairman, Chief Akin Oke; Minister of Youths and Sports, Mr Sunday Dare; former Communications Minister, Adebayo Shittu; Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Adeolu Akande; party’s governorship candidate in the last election, Chief Adebayo Adelabu; Chairman, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle.

The roll call of attendees also included former deputy governors, Barrister Iyiola Oladokun and Chief Moses Alake-Adeyemo; Senators Teslim Folarin and Fatai Buhari; Honourable Tolu Sadipe; Dr Fola Akinosun; former Senators Olufemi Lanlehin and Ayo Adeseun; former Minister, Taoheed Adedoja; former Finance Commissioners, Bimbo Adekanmbi and Zaccheaus Adelabu; Honourable Dokun Odebunmi; serving and former lawmakers.

In his welcome address, the State Caretaker Chairman, Chief Akin Oke, expressed delight at the collective resolve of all leaders, chieftains and members of the Oyo APC to work together as one and reposition the party for the task of winning future elections in the state.

“Although the main objective of today’s meeting is to deliberate on how to mobilize for the success of the party’s membership registration and revalidation exercise, we must express our happiness and joy on account of the attendance of this meeting by all the critical stakeholders including our leaders who were aggrieved at one time or the other. It is a new dawn and we salute your courage for putting behind all issues of grievances to channel a new cause for the good of our dear party and the nation as a whole,” Oke said.

In his own speech, former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala appealed for greater commitment and synergy among all stakeholders with a view to making the party stronger.

“We must swing into action immediately as we have no luxury of time ahead of the next general election in which we would do everything humanly possible to reclaim power in Oyo State.

“As much as we are ready to mobilise for the success of the party’s membership registration and revalidation exercise, we also need to take a step further by setting appropriate modalities in place for Oyo APC faithful to work together as a family and dislodge the PDP from power,” Alao-Akala said.

While addressing the meeting, Minister of Youths and Sports, Dare, eulogized the Akin Oke-led state executive committee for organizing the meeting which he described as very important at a time when all hands must be put on deck to save the state from the PDP whose conduct in government, he said, leaves much to be desired.

Others present at the meeting were former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Olalekan Alli; former Head of Service, Olawumi Ogunesan; Minority Leader of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Honourable Asimiyu Alarape; Honourables Akeem Adeyemi, Olajide Olatunbosun, Olaide Akinremi; former Oyo Speaker, Honourable Olagunju Ojo; former Commissioners, Bimbo Kolade and Olatunbosun Oladele and several others.

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