APC Ward Congress: Oyetola’s Group Reportedly Boycotts Direct Primary Option in Osun
- Some party members in Osun state reportedly boycotted the direct primary option in the APC ward congress
- This information was revealed by the party's state caretaker secretary in Osun, Alhaji Razak Salinsile
- The APC chieftain party members in the state came out excitedly in their numbers to elect those to steer their affairs
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A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun state and the party's state caretaker secretary, Alhaji Razak Salinsile, has said despite the enthusiasm shown by the party members to elect ward executives on Saturday, July 31, a group loyal to Governor Gboyega Oyetola boycotted the exercise.
Although, the caretaker party chairman in the state, Prince Gboyega Famodun, had earlier said the state chapter had adopted consensus for the purpose of the smooth running of the party.
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Exercise said to be largely successful
Salinsile, however, said APC members in the state came out in their numbers to elect those to steer the affairs of the party at the ward level.
He expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the exercise, describing it as peaceful.
In a statement sent to Legit.ng on Sunday, August 1, the Osun APC scribe said:
“The exercise was a success but regrettably a faction of the party in the state, the Ilerioluwa Political Group loyal to Governor Gboyega Oyetola largely boycotted the direct primaries mode of electing ward party executives we adopted.
“In some parts of Osogbo, Ilerioluwa members read out a list of executives handed to them from the government house, however, in Egbedore Local Government, attempts to read such list was rebuffed.
“The group members later retired to the house of their leader, Baba Ajao to affirm its executives there.
“The congress was peaceful in Ward 9, Ilesa East local government, wards 2, 7, and 11 in Erin Osun in Irepodun local government, wards 2 and 4 in Ejigbo local government, and Ward 8, Isokan local government where direct primary elections were held.
“Though members of the Osun State National Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ward congress have applauded the peaceful conduct of the exercise in the entire state, the exercise witnessed one or two skirmishes around the state.”
He also confirmed that in Ejigbo local government area of the state, the exercise was conducted freely in all the wards.
He added:
“Our members came out en-mass and prepared for an election, but none of the contestants on the other side showed up. Subsequently, the contestant for the different positions were affirmed by those present.”
Protests galore before exercise
Recall that some youths who are members of the APC in Osun had earlier 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 scheduled for Saturday, July 31.
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.
Similarly, a group of the APC in the state known as The Osun Progressives had earlier raised an alarm, alleging that key stakeholders have been excluded from the ward congress.
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.
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.
Source: Legit.ng
