Stakeholders in Oyo APC seek direct primary

It will stop dictatorship, say Oke, Alao-Akala, Folarin
Tension surrounding the controversial October 30, 2021 state congress in Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) seems to have temporarily subsided in readiness for whether or not President Muhammadu Buhari signs the bill on direct party primary into law.

HOWEVER, the outgoing State Caretaker Chairman, Chief Akin Oke; former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, who is also the head of the Elders Advisory Committee; the Unity Forum led by former Minister of Communications, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu and the one controlled by Senator Teslim Folarin, have expressed support for direct primaries, saying it would put to rest manipulations at the party level.

In a telephone chat yesterday, Oke said the news surrounding the planned direct primary law if eventually passed, would douse the tension in Oyo APC.

Oke, however, told The Guardian that the progressives in Oyo APC were ready and would appreciate if the President signs the direct primary bill into law.

BUT the spokesman for Alao-Akala, Mr. Tolu Mustafa, who said it was true that the deliberations over the planned direct primaries might have doused the tension in Oyo APC, said: “That is not the true situation of things. The aggrieved are still trying to upturn the election of Mr. Isaac Omodewu, who emerged as the new state chairman from the state congress held on October 30, 2021, at Awolowo Stadium.”

He appealed to the aggrieved to join hands with Omodewu to build Oyo APC ahead of the 2023 governorship poll, saying that the strength of the party lies in its unity.

“On the direct primary, Alao-Akala does not have issues with it at all. Whichever pattern is acceptable to him as far as it is going to achieve the best for the party,” he said.

Folarin, on his part, expressed full support for the proposed direct primary, describing it as the best method in choosing candidates of political parties.

He said direct primary is purely a democratic process in which all aspirants for various positions would be given a level-playing field to test their strength and acceptability by party members.