Some stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State have demanded the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari over the crisis rocking the state chapter of the party.
The party men drawn from the 11 local government areas in Ibadan made this call at a meeting held at Yemetu, Ibadan, urged Buhari to end the reign of illegality in the state.
They noted that the intervention of Buhari, being the leader of the party, was crucial to quash impunity and a situation where the minority is lording itself over the majority in the Oyo APC.
Loudly, they rejected the inauguration of Isaac Omodewu as Chairman of the Oyo APC, positing that Abu Gbadamosi was the unanimous choice of the zones and was the only person that the majority of members accept as their Chairman.
They argued that the congress that produced him was flawed and had earlier been rejected by the National Caretaker Committee of the party, noting that the inauguration of Omodewu was shocking.
Some of the leaders who attended the Wednesday meeting which was held in Yemetu, Ibadan include Kunle Sanda, Abolade Akinyemi, Adewole Oluokun, Lasunmade Adebunmi, BAO Oladeji and Isiaka Alimi.
Others are Olatunji Ayoade, Lekan Adeyemo, Wahab Oladejo, Kunle Jenrade, Bola Fawole, Gani Alade, Mabel Williams and Adefisoye Adekanye among others.
The leaders who all took their turns to make remarks expressed their displeasure at the turnout of events saying they will not fold their hands and see their party taken over by a few minorities at the detriment of the majority who are mostly the foundation members of the party.
They said the inauguration of Omodewu is a threat to the party in Oyo State as the enthronement of a minority group on a majority cannot stand adding, “It will only lead the party to electoral disaster in Oyo State”.
The leaders said there was no congress on which Omodewu could be returned as State Chairman, wondering the basis on which the National Secretariat could have issued Omodewu with a “Certificate of Return”.
They vowed to use every legal means to return the party to the majority of its members who overwhelmingly returned Alhaji Abubakar Adejare Gbadamosi as State Chairman of the party.
Speaking, Chief Sanda said “The details of what transpired on the purported State Congress of the party in Oyo State is an open book.
“At the Stakeholders meeting held at the National Secretariat on November 4, 2021, the National Secretary declared that the purported Congress conducted on October 30 at the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan “was held in error” and without the knowledge nor approval of the National Chairman of the party.
“He apologized to members for the error and the meeting resolved to complete the Consensus election of a State Chairman which had produced Alhaji Gbadamosi as State Chairman.
“The purported return of Omodewu is the climax of a reign of impunity which a tiny and minority section of the party in Oyo State in collaboration with outside forces had sought to impose on the party ahead of the 2023 general elections. As such illegalities have always been, it will definitely fail.
In his remark, Chief Abolade Akinyemi said “We the leaders and other stakeholders resolved to use every legal means to reclaim the mandate given to Alhaji Abu Gbadamosi-led State Executive and establish a party leadership that represents the wish of majority members of the party in Oyo State.
“What we are witnessing is a temporary distraction that would test our commitment to democratic principles and the rule of law. We will not fail the test.”
Also speaking, Alhaji BAO Oladeji said “There are attempts to exploit sentiment to rally support for the illegitimate Omodewu executive. We commend our members who have spurned the early morning visits and calls to woo and hoodwink them to support the illegitimate executive.
“The clandestine visit, calls and blackmail will continue. We are convinced that our history of commitment to democratic principles which have always been on display in Oyo State will make all such nefarious efforts come to naught.
“We implore all members of the party in the state to remain calm and law-abiding. Every legal means would be employed to return the party to the overwhelming majority of members who have expressed their preferred leadership through the democratic process enshrined in the Constitution of the party.”
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