Unending crisis in Oyo APC as Omodewu emerges chairman 

Stakeholders Urge CECPC To Shift Congress Again
Some leaders of the Oyo State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, rejected what they described as ‘Kangaroo state congress’ organised by Senator Teslim Folarin and former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala at the Liberty Stadium, where their preferred candidate, Isaac Omodewu emerged unopposed as the new state chairman.

The Guardian reliably gathered that the Chairman of the State Congress Committee, Alhaji Gambo Lawan was held hostage in his hotel room at the Mahorgany Hotels and Suites, Ibadan by aggrieved members of the progressives arm or the party, which comprises those from the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

As a result, Gambo could not attend or supervise the congress that purportedly produced Omodewu, just as the outgoing chairman of the State Caretaker Committee, Chief Akin Oke and other tendencies were conspicuously absent.

But rather than organise a parallel congress, aggrieved stakeholders organised a press conference at Premier Hotels, where they kicked against holding the state congress with what they described as falsified delegates’ list.

Leaders at the press conference were a former Senator Ayoade Adeseun; the Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Adeolu Akande; a former governorship aspirant, Chief Olasunkanmi Tegbe; the governorship candidate of the party, Chief Adebayo Adelabu; a former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Olagunju Ojo; the Chairman of National Lottery Commission, Fatai Ibikunle; the Minister of Youth and Sport Development, Sunday Dare; Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye; a former Secretary to the State government, Chief Sarafadeen Alli; and members of House of Representatives, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, Hon. Akeem Adeyemi and Dr. Azeez Adeduntan.

They appealed to the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention and Planning Committee (CECPC) to postpone, once more, the state congress, till an authentic delegates’ list is provided.

They said any event organised at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium was a mere ceremony for Senator Folarin, whose birthday was yesterday.

They said Akala and Teslim were responsible for the falsification of the delegates’ list.

Adeseun said some dubious people had inserted fake delegates into the list brought from Abuja.

Akala and Folarin were accused of using their position to conceal the results of the ward and local government congresses held earlier to doctor the delegates’ list meant for the state congress because of ulterior motives.

MEANWHILE, Omodewu, who hails from Itesiwaju local government in Oke Ogun 1 emerged at the congress held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan.

In his acceptance speech, Omodewu promised to unite various tendencies within the party.

Omodewu said: “This acceptance speech will be incomplete if I fail to give kudos to Governor Mai Buni of Yobe State, who is the Chairman of our Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of APC, for a job well done. The committee has emplaced justice without favoritism. Thank you so much.

“In conclusion, I solemnly solicit the maximum support and cooperation of co-aspirants, critical stakeholders and our teeming members. Join hands with us to take back Oyo State from the misruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023 general elections.”

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mutiu Agboke, who personally monitored the exercise, said no parallel congress took place in the state.

Agboke said: “Our staff were there throughout. I was there. There is no parallel congress.”

When contacted for comment, outgoing caretaker committee chairman, Oke said he was monitoring the development.