TheCable

The crisis in the Oyo chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a different turn as party stakeholders called for a cancellation of the state congress held on Saturday in Ibadan.

The stakeholders, comprising four blocs within the party in the state, said the delegates’ list used for the congress was “not authentic”.

The congress was originally meant to be held at the main bowl of the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, formerly known Liberty Stadium, in Ibadan, but the main venue was not accessible, and the congress was held at a training pitch on the stadium.

TheCable understands that Teslim Folarin, lawmaker representing Oyo central, and Alao Akala, a former governor of Oyo, attended the congress.

The congress produced Isaac Omodewu, a former Oyo commissioner, as the new APC chairman in the state.

A source within the party said members stormed the hotel where Gambo Lawal, the state congress committee chairman, was lodged and prevented him from attending the congress.

The congress was said to have been presided over by Abdullahi Bello, secretary of the state congress committee.

Speaking at a media briefing held at the Premier Hotel in Ibadan, Ayoade Adeseun, a former senator who represented the four opposing blocs, accused “a serving senator and a former governor” of causing crisis in the Oyo APC.

“Some dubious people have inserted fake delegates into the list brought from Abuja. We did the first congress, we did not get its result. We held the second one, no result. They kept them all,” he said.

“They brought them altogether to us yesterday for us to hold the state congress. It is not possible to use falsified list for the state congress. In this state congress, we have agreed to go for consensus, but some elements in the party falsified the delegates’ list.

“If they use the falsified delegates list to hijack the party structure, can they use the same approach to win in the general elections? Two people are behind this falsified, adulterated and fake delegates’ list — one serving senator and a former governor of the state.

“Party members and leaders in Oyo state are vehemently kicking against using such delegates’ list to conduct the state congress. We are using this medium to appeal to the national leadership of our party to intervene. The only solution to this is to allow our party to conduct election and win.

“Our party was in government for eight years and brought unprecedented development to the state.”

Other Oyo APC stakeholders present at the media briefing include Adeolu Akande, chief of staff to the late Abiola Ajimobi, former governor of Oyo; Sunday Dare, minister of youths and sports; Adebayo Adelabu, former APC governorship candidate, among others.