Reconciliation on course, says Folarin 
 
A former Minister of Communication, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu and Zonal Organising Secretary, Southwest Zone Executive of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Lateef Ibirogba, yesterday, appealed to all aggrieved members of the Oyo chapter of APC, to close rank with the party’s flag bearer for the 2023 gubernatorial election, Senator Teslim Folarin.
  
The duo spoke separately on the telephone with The Guardian, admonishing members, saying  it was only when they closed rank by supporting Folarin that the party “could hope of defeating the incumbent governor, Seyi Makinde and the ruling Oyo Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) next year.”
 
They also said the reconciliation of Oyo chapter would guarantee the National Leader of APC, Bola Tinubu, who is the presidential candidate of the ruling party victory  against his opponents Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of PDP and Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party ((LP) in the state.
   
Shittu particularly emphasised that if God did not destine Folarin to be the party’s governorship candidate he (Folarin) wouldn’t have been. 
 
According to him, “As APC member we still stand a better chance of benefiting under Folarin, who is one of us  than under other party. We can still join hands with him to build Oyo from within than when we are outside. 
 
“In 2019 when some of us were denied the ticket because of Adebayo Adelabu, we took it as an act of God and I see no reason Adelabu couldn’t take it the same way we did when Folarin emerged.”
  
Ibirogba said the Southwest zonal executive headed by Isaac Kekemeke is building up on the last reconciliation meeting held in Ibadan between Folarin and some other members and a lot of progress has been recorded after the first meeting. “We had another follow up meeting in Lagos yesterday where many of the aggrieved showed up.”
   
Ibirogba said though efforts are still being made to reach some aggrieved members within Oyo chapter “but for Adelabu, who is currently the governorship candidate of Accord Party, it might be futile trying to bring him back.” 
 
But when contacted, Folarin expressed confidence that reconciliation efforts are yielding positive results as all tendencies within the party are being carried along at ward, local and state levels. He charged all the party members to remain united in  the quest to return Oyo State to the progressives fold in 2023.
 
The governorship candidate promised to do everything within his capacity to ensure that justice, equity and fairness drives his policies and programmes when elected as governor of the Pacesetter State.
  
He also stressed the need for APC members to collaborate appropriately in Oyo for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s victory in 2023.