Former president Olusegun Obasanjo has mediated in the rift threatening the unity of the African Democratic Congress in Oyo State with the Unity Forum, which threatened to pull out of the coalition, expressing its readiness to work with the Rashidi Ladoja group in the party.
The Unity Forum, which seceded from the All Progressives Congress after a disagreement with the Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi over the party congresses, issued 72 -hour ultimatum to the national executive of the ADC because of a disagreement with the Ladoja group over the congress allegedly conducted by the former governor in the state.
Secretary of the forum, Wasiu Olatunbosun, told our correspondent that ahead of the expiration of the ultimatum, a meeting was scheduled between the forum leaders and Obasanjo, where all areas of disagreements were ironed out. He said the meeting with Obasanjo birthed another meeting between the forum and Ladoja on Sunday.
He said, “Obasanjo directed the national chairman of the ADC, its legal adviser and the national publicity secretary to discuss with us and end the misunderstanding with Ladoja and his group. It was unanimously agreed that we harmonise the composition of the executive in Oyo State.
“The Unity Forum was given the state chairman, who will come from the Oke -Ogun area of the state, and nine other executive members out of 29 positions. We were also directed to meet Ladoja for another peace meeting which we had on Sunday. We have been able to resolve all our differences. It was a good deal for all the groups that came together to fortify the ADC. At the meeting, Ladoja expressed his displeasure over the disagreement, stressing that it was important for us to work together to end APC reign of terror and impunity in the state.”
Olatunbosun said that after the meeting with Obasanjo and Ladoja, the forum in Oke -Ogun, Ibarapa , Ogbomoso and nine out of 11 councils in Ibadan reached an agreement to remain in the ADC. He, however, pointed out that a few members who felt that their continuous stay in the coalition would be affected opted to seek the nomination in other parties.
