Members of the Unity Forum faction of the Oyo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress have dissociated themselves from the reconciliation committee created by the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and also threatened mass defection to a new party.
Recall inisdeoyo.com earlier reported that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party recognised Chief Akin Oke as the chairman of Oyo state APC on Monday, June 4. He emerged from the congresses held by Ajimobi’s group in the state, and was among the state chairmen that were sworn in by the party’s NWC in Abuja.
According to a communiqué issued at the end of their meeting on Tuesday, which was signed by the secretary, Olatunbosun, and other leaders of the forum, reiterated their position. They also said that they would not be part of a reconciliation arrangement of the governor, describing it as ridiculous and laughable.
The communiqué said, “The effort is ridiculous and laughable. Governor Ajimobi is the problem of APC in Oyo State. How can a problem be the solution? An issue in the crisis is the anti-democratic conduct of the governor in the party. Examples include his decision not to follow the constitution of the party in the election of party candidates for the local government election; his unilateral handpicking of the party’s candidate in the last Ibarapa East House of Assembly bye-election, which culminated in the disgraceful loss of the party and an attempt to impose members of his minority SENACO as executives of the party at the ward, local and state levels.
“It is, therefore, ridiculous and laughable that such a character will expect that serious-minded persons and group like the Unity Forum will take his kangaroo reconciliation with even a pinch of seriousness. Ajimobi is never known for keeping any promise. The entire political landscape of Oyo State and Ajimobi’s political career are littered with carcasses of victims of his deceit. His offer of reconciliation is a poisoned chalice that anyone will accept at his own peril. We reject it.
“We, however, wish to put it on record that in his typical shenanigan, he will parade some men of shady character before his kangaroo reconciliation panel and call them members of the Unity Forum. Whoever buys that fraud does so at his own risk.”
A prominent member of the forum, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told the Punch correspondent that the suit was only instituted to give the party a second chance to reconsider its decision. He said the ultimate option for the members was to defect en-mass to another party. He said the appeal committee did not recommend Oke for the chairmanship position in the state and that what it recommended was reconciliation, fingering the vice-president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, in the upturning of the recommendation.
He said, “From the information we have, the vice-president told the NWC to swear in Oke. Anybody who understands party administration will know that it starts and ends with the chairman. We will not be part of that executive no matter what is offered. We have filed a case in court but the decision of our people is to defect to another party. We see that as the way out. We cannot work for Ajimobi to install someone as his successor in this state. He should respect party rules.”
