The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has banned all factional groups within the party in order to ensure oneness of the party ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The intraparty factions the ‘Lamists’ (loyalists of former governor of the state, Alhaji Lamidi Adesina), SENACO (an acronym for Senator Ajimobi Campaign Organisation, comprising the loyalists of the ex-governor of the state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi), Unity Forum (comprising aggrieved members of the party) and PDP Reform (comprising those who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to APC.
The meeting was well attended by stakeholders across the three senatorial districts in the state. It was held at the party’s newly commissioned Oke-Ado, Ibadan office.
Attendees included former state governor Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, who is the Chairman of the Elders’ Advisory Council of APC in the state, the party’s caretaker chairman, Chief Akin Oke, two former deputy governors, Otunba Iyiola Oladokun, and Otunba Moses Adeyemo.
Others were Minister of Youth and Sports Sunday Dare, former Minister of Communication Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, former Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Planning Olufemi Lanlehin, the party’s governorship candidate during 2019 polls, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Contents, Teslim Folarin, as well as Dr Fola Akinosun.
The meeting resolved that APC in the state:
‘Shall be democratic in all its political activities as this concerns entrenchment of internal democracy, particularly in the area of party congresses and elective positions.
‘Oyo APC is now an indivisible family poised to win all future elections in the state. The stakeholders also resolved to work together with the National Secretariat for the overall success of the Membership Registration and Revalidation exercise.
‘The stakeholders have placed a total ban on the inimical activities of divisive groups such as Lamists, SENACO, PDP Reform and Unity Forum within Oyo APC.
‘All leaders, including but not limited to former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, Barr Iyiola Oladokun, Chief Moses Alake-Adeyemo and Chief Akin Oke are determined to galvanize available resources, particularly the teeming population of party faithful, to rebuild Oyo APC and make it more virile.”
