Former governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, has described as untrue a media report that he held a parallel ward congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogbomoso, last Saturday.
He said this in reaction to newspaper publication which reported that a parallel ward congress, under his leadership, was held in Ogbomoso North Local Government Area.
It was also reported that the parallel congress was as a result of a face-off between the former Oyo governor and the Minister of Youths and Sports, Chief Sunday Dare.
Alao-Akala, who is chairman of the Oyo APC Elders Advisory Council, described those behind the report as fifth columnists and agents of distabilisation, masquerading as party members.
In a release, the former governor accused the alleged masterminds of the report of having “the intention of disrupting the ongoing ward congress in the state and never do-wells whose stock in trade is to benefit from imaginary crisis created within the confines of their bedroom.”
Alao-Akala said the report, which he ascribed to “one faceless and unknown man” is baseless and untrue and “is the handiwork of some disgruntled elements bandying the name of the Minister of Youth and Sports, Chief Sunday Dare, to carve a niche for themselves.”
The former governor said the minister, who is presently out of the country on a national assignment, “is a man who hold party supremacy in high esteem. He is committed to the growth and development of the APC and will never be a party to such shenanigans of the mischievous element.
“I have not spoken to him today [Sunday] but I can tell you he is not party to the dirty antics of the man that claimed he held parallel primaries in Ogbomoso North Local Government of all places.
“We held a series of stakeholders’ meeting, both at the state level and at the Ogbomoso zone of the state and the minister was fully part of the whole processes.
“Leaders and elders of the party from Ogbomoso zone converged and fashioned out ways of ensuring we have a hitch-free ward congress and the minister was part of us.
“We don’t have any crisis whatsoever among us in Ogbomoso zone of the party and I can vouch for the minister that he is not party to the dirty antics of the mischief makers.
“Don’t also forget that the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare, is a serving minister and a frontline cabinet member. He is a committed party member and a good example to the upcoming generation who will never conspire with never do-wells to bring down the peace and cohesion of a party he is serving in its government as minister.
“This is not forgetting the fact that the APC is a party with discipline and respect for due process. Even if, per-adventure, there is any form of misgivings, there are laid down internal mechanisms set down by the party to look into what ever might be amiss.
“My advice for our party supporters and follower is that they should not be distracted, nor dismayed by the sheer ignorance of mischievous elements. They should be forward-thinking and focused on the remaining stages of the congress aimed at choosing the leaders and executives of our party.”
