Osun APC Group Raises Alarm, Alleges Exclusion From Party’s Ward Congress
- The planned ward congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun state is already having a credibility crisis
- The Osun Progressives, a prominent group in Osun, says there are plans to influence the outcome of the exercise by some influential persons in the state
- The group also alleged that party officers from the national secretariat expected to handle the exercise are nowhere to be found
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Osogbo - A group of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun state known as The Osun Progressives (TOP) has raised an alarm, alleging that the key stakeholders have been excluded from the ward congress commencing nationwide on Saturday, July 31.
The group alleged that the national secretariat officers sent to Osogbo, the Osun state capital, to conduct the congress exercise were hijacked, ambushed, and kept from being accessed by other stakeholders in the party.
Source: Facebook
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Addressing a press conference on Friday, July 30, the chairman of the APC Progressives group, Reverend Adelowo Adebiyi, drew the attention of Governor Mai Mala Buni's committee to the issue.
Addressing journalists at a briefing monitored by Legit.ng, Adebiyi said:
“We remind you that there haven't been any signs that the Osun APC has a preparation of any sort for the congress.
“We also put on record that you have assisted us to use a press release wherein we reported that the national secretariat officers sent to Osogbo were hijacked, ambushed, and kept from being accessed by other stakeholders in the party.
“And by inference, did not sell a single form to all other interested parties within the APC.
“When the Osun Progressives (TOP) get to its wit's end in getting the forms from those sent from Abuja, we procured the forms directly from the national secretariat by substituted means.
“Hitherto, the governor's group, IleriOluwa had boasted all over the places that it was going to have a consensus of returning all members of the outgoing executives.
“As a matter of fact, they were going to have the assumed consensus arrangement yesterday only for them to bitterly learn that we have gotten forms.
“They hurriedly cancelled the elaborate arrangements they made to announce the incorrigible consensus. Our observation is that they are scared of contests since they know that the current leadership has mismanaged the party to the present extent.”
He alleged that the ward congress committee appointed by the national leadership of the country parrived Osogbo this morning and has been in the Government House with Governor Gboyega Oyetola since.
He further alleged that the governor and his loyalists are circumventing the popular rule of democratic engagement by not allowing the committees to interact with stakeholders.
Adebiyi warned that the group won't allow any manipulation of any sort having come this far.
Angry Osun APC members hit the streets
Recall that some youths who are members of the APC in Osun accused senior members of the party in the state of sharp practices.
The youths specifically stated that Governor Oyetola and caretaker chairman of the APC, Prince Gboyega Famodun are manipulating the processes ahead of the ward congress of the party.
The youths who staged a protest on the Gbongan-Ibadan road, Ogo-Oluwa in the Osun capital Osogbo, on Friday, July 30 alleged that Oyetola and Famodun are hijacking the nomination forms brought by some national officials of the APC to the state.
Party leadership warns against parallel congresses
Meanwhile, ahead of its ward congresses across the country, the national leadership of the APC has threatened to sanction any member or group who organises any parallel congress.
The National Caretaker Committee, in a notice, issued to all members and signed on Friday, July 30 and seen by Legit.ng, reminded all party members and stakeholders of the National Executive Council (NEC) resolution of December 2020.
The notice which was signed by the party's national secretary, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, noted that the NEC resolution subsists and extends to the conduct of party members during the congresses.
Source: Legit.ng
