The alleged intention of the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State to field its candidates for all the elective positions in next year’s general elections is causing rumpus within the party, Osun Defender gathered.
Indications already emerged that the leadership of the party has concluded arrangements to field candidates for the Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly through a consensus arrangement, a situation which may prevent the conduct of a primary election.
However, some stakeholders of the party are against the arrangement and may not be part of the consensus arrangement, even as many had threatened to leave the party should the leadership make good its plan to go ahead with the consensus arrangement.
This is even as many of the candidates contesting the elections are clamouring for a direct primary election, a system that will give equal opportunity to all members of the party to elect the preferred candidates for the positions.
But findings by Osun Defender revealed that the party is determined to select all the candidates through consensus arrangement, not minding the acceptability of the candidates and their popularity in the party.
It was learnt that many of the aspirants vying for different positions in the coming election within the party are already lobbying the leaders of the party to ensure their emergence, since it is clear to them that the candidates will emerge through a consensus arrangement.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, is alleged to be at the centre of the whole issue as he’s said to be the main leader of the party who may single-handedly choose the candidates for the party.
Recall that a similar incident occurred in the prelude to the emergence of the Deputy Governorship candidate of the party, a situation which reportedly polarised the party in the four local government areas that make up Ife zone.
It was learnt that the leaders of the party in Ile-Ife, including former Deputy Governor of the state, Senator Iyiola Omisore and another former Deputy Governor, Sooko Adeleke Adewoyin, were not carried along in the choice of Mr Benjamin Adereti as the deputy governorship candidate.
It was alleged that Oyetola single-handedly nominated Adereti without consulting the leaders of the party in the area and Ile-Ife in particular.
This development caused serious division within the party and its outcome is yet to be resolved by the leadership of the party, despite efforts made for reconciliation by some prominent leaders of the party, including former Governor of the state, Chief Bisi Akande.
Already, many of the aspirants in the party, it was gathered, have concluded arrangements to vacate the party should the leadership of the party, especially Oyetola, handpick the candidates for the positions.
Osun Defender was reliably informed that a similar issue is brewing in most of the Local Government Areas ahead of the primary election for the House of Assembly.
It was learnt that many members of the party are determined to resist any attempt by Oyetola or any leader of the party to impose any candidate on them.
