As the deadline set by the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, OYSIEC, for political parties participating in the May 12, 2018 local government poll to turn in their candidates’ list draws nearer, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, may have had to contend with serious internal crisis which could set the party on fire any time from now.
Insideoyo.com gathered that notable camps of stakeholders within the party are currently engaging themselves in what could be described as unprecedented horse trading and supremacy battle over the choice of the chairmanship and councillorship candidates of the party for the 33 local government councils and 35 local council development areas at the much awaited poll later in May this year.
Insideoyo.com can authoritatively report that barring any last minute adjustment of the time table earlier released by OYSIEC ostensibly to accommodate the the new arrangement aimed at implementing the ward delineation exercise recently carried out to complement the emergence of LCDAs, the new week might be full of challenges for the leadership of the APC in the state.
According to an impeccable source within Oyo APC which preferred anonymity, both the camps of those believed to be core loyalists of the governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi popularly known as the SENACO Group and that of the former governor, Alh. Lamidi Adesina which is called the Lamists Group, are battle ready for another round of confrontation as they may likely fight dirty this time worse than ever before.
The source hinted that some eggheads of the SENACO are mounting pressure on the governor to disregard the provision which stipulates party primaries in the APC constitution now that candidates must emerge from a crowd of aspirants who had purchased their nomination forms from the party before the poll scheduled for February 11, 2017 had to be suspended by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
“We have reliably gathered that some forces within the Oyo APC which are known for pursuing selfish agenda by flying the SENACO kite to the admiration of the governor have completed the self-serving task of compilling names of aspirants and non-aspirants to be forced on the State Chairman, Chief Akin Oke having secured the cooperation of few members of the State Working Committee. The governor is not favorably disposed to the arrangement though, its promoters have gone far on it, ” sources revealed.
Another member of the APC in the state who simply gave his name as leader explained that the suspicion by some party faithful that the governor would not encourage the conduct of free, fair and credible primaries could be as a result of his previous utterances and current body language which he described as unbecoming of a person expected to be a father to all.
“There is no person who would go against his directives in choosing candidates for 2019 general election among those to be elected as chairmen and councillors if he played his game very well. Apart from some political lazy bones and opportunists who parade themselves as his people and prevent the majority from benefiting from his government, APC faithful are loyal and resilient as this is evident in their contribution to his re-election in 2015 against all odds.
“As it stands today, the Akin Oke-led state executive as well as the governor would have themselves to blame if they fail to do it right and allow a negligible population of mischief makers to mislead them. They should just plead for understanding of Alao-Akala, Folarin and other heavyweight politicians who joined the APC recently and allow party primaries determine the fate of all the aspirants or risk the backlash of any imposition antics,” he added.
Meanwhile, efforts to get reactions from the party did not yield any desired result as messages sent to the party’s spokesman, Olawale Sadare, through his mobile contact were not responded to while he also did not pick numerous calls put across to him at the time of filing this report.
