Ahead of the August 16 bye-election, a two term member of the Oyo state House of Assembly, Honorable Segun Olaleye also known as ‘Radical Brother’ has said that the All Progressives Congress, APC at the state level promised the aspirants a free, fair and credible primary election.
Radical Brother, who’s also an aspirant for the Ibadan North Federal Constituency seat in a chat with our correspondent, on Tuesday said the aspirants stand by what the party promised.
This is coming following the widespread rumor that the party has jettisoned the plan to hold primary and resolved to pick an aspirant.
He said that his view on the matter is what almost every other aspirant holds ahead of the August 16 bye-election.
He added that forms weren’t issued to aspirants who have paid for the purchase of the form because the party under the coordination of the Director of Elections wants dues from the revalidated exercise, to be remitted to the party in Abuja from the state. He added that once this has been done, aspirants from Oyo state will be allowed to pick up their forms.
He assured all members of the APC and his supporters across the country and abroad that there will be free and fair primary in Oyo state. He added that those afraid of primary are the ones peddling rumour that they have been picked as the candidate of the party.
The former students union leader recollected that a similar situation happened during the dispensation of Former President Muhammadu Buhari where some promoters of Former Senate President Ahmed Lawan were afraid of primary and started peddling rumours of his imposition. He said President Bola Tinubu resisted such imposition vehemently and insisted on primary. He said that this is exactly what is being played in Ibadan North.
He added that it’s obvious that Faruq Arisekola Alao can’t win in a primary, just the same way Ahmed Lawan can’t win and resolved to rumour of imposition. He said that President Bola Tinubu emerged as a true Democrat after the conduct of the primary adding that he’s going to emerge as a true Democrat too.
His words: “The APC at the state level promised the aspirants a free, fair and credible primary election. The aspirants stand with that. Those afraid of primary are the ones peddling rumour that they have been picked as the candidate of the party.
“It’s obvious that Faruq Arisekola Alao can’t win in a primary. He’s resolved to rumour of imposition.
“President Bola Tinubu emerged as a true Democrat after the conduct of the primary. He resisted the imposition tricks of Senator Ahmed Lawan and insisted on primary. I’m going to emerge as a true Democrat too.”
The bye-election was necessitated by the demise of Hon. Olaide Akinremi who was re-elected in the 2023 election. He was a member of the APC.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed August 16 for the bye-election.
