Tension mounts in Oyo APC over selection of delegates for primary

With less than 24 hours to the conduct of bye-election to fill the vacant seat of Ibadan North Federal Constituency, members of the All Progressives Congress have expressed doubts on the conduct of free, fair, credible election as promised by the leadership of the party. Aggrieved members disclosed the plan of a chieftain of the party to hijack the process. This development has caused a sharp division among the membership of the party in the state.

Meanwhile, the forum of APC Apex leaders in Ibadan North Local Government Area has met to review the developments relating to the forthcoming party bye election, most especially, the activities of the Delegates’ Congress Committee which was constituted by the National headquarters of the party to conduct the primaries for the House of Representatives ticket.

The leadership in a communique issued at the end at their meeting rejected any anti-democratic practices. The communique read in part: “The Apex leaders firmly reject any anti-democratic practices or tendencies that may undermine the credibility of the primaries or jeopardise the collective efforts of party members at ensuring victory at the forthcoming inter-party bye elections.

“The meeting in session reiterated the urgent need for the conduct of a free, transparent and fair primaries i.e. the one that reflects the true wishes of party members and earns the acceptance of all the stakeholders therein.

“The meeting in session appealed to all the party members to remain calm and exercise restraints in all fronts, no matter the level of seeming provocation or annoyance.

“The Apex leaders enjoined all the party members to continue working for the party’s success in the forthcoming inter-party by-elections.

“The meeting in session dispelled the rumours doing rounds to the effect that the Apex leaders had been compromised by tilting their support in favour of a particular aspirant.

“The meeting in session enjoined all the aspirants to eschew all acts of rancour and bitterness among themselves and renew their hope, faith and confidence in the party’s ability to do justice.

“The Apex leaders in session reaffirm their unwavering commitment to the values, constitution and leadership of the All Progressives Congress from the state to the National level.”

Similarly, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had reported that some party leaders had raised concerns over alleged imposition of a particular aspirant reportedly backed by a top government official.

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The aspirant, who reportedly rejoined the party recently from the Accord party, was believed by some within the party to be enjoying undue advantage in the selection process.

Sources within the party said that the allegation followed APC National Secretariat’s directive mandating an indirect primary. This, the source said, overruled an earlier decision by party leaders in the state and aspirants to adopt a direct primary model for the selection process.

The stakeholders said that the reversal of the earlier direct primary model has left several party members dissatisfied and expressing a sense of exclusion.

Sources within the party have also alleged that members of the Delegate Congress Committee and the Appeals Committee, who are camped at a hotel in Ibadan, had produced a delegates list ahead of the congress to select delegates.

They said that the Delegates Congress Committees during a closed-door meeting at the APC state secretariat on Saturday, reportedly informed stakeholders of the cancellation of the earlier scheduled delegate congress, opting instead to adopt a pre-approved list.

A senior party figure, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the development as an abuse of internal democratic processes. He appealed to the APC national leadership and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene, saying the integrity of the primary process must be protected.