Osun APC LG Primary Election Splits IleriOluwa Camp

 

Kazeem Badmus

LAST Saturday’s Chairmanship and Councillorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the October 15 Local Government election in the State of Osun has set members of the IleriOluwa camp of the party against one another. 

The IleriOluwa camp being led by Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, has been further polarised since the conclusion of the primaries, as members of the camp are now openly critising and cursing their leaders.

It would be recalled that OSUN DEFENDER had in its last edition reported the controversies surrounding the primaries and the allegation of imposition of candidates by leaders of the party. 

Protests, pandemonium, manipulation and threats characterised the LG primaries, a situation that brought the reported resentment and division in the IleriOluwa camp to the fore. 

Only members of the Governor’s camp participated in the primaries as the other camp, The Osun Progressives (TOP) did not show interest in the exercise.

Some members of the IleriOluwa camp who had expected fair treatment in the primaries had resorted to protests, petitions and social media bullying to complain about the manipulation of the LG primaries. 

Dr Tiamiyu Bello, a staunch member of the IleriOluwa camp, had taken to his facebook page to lament the absence of party officials who were supposed to conduct the primaries in Ede North local government. 

On his facebook page on Sunday, Bello wrote: “Were they Kidnapped? Who Kept Them Incommunicado?

“Stakeholders from Alusekere Ward 5 alleged that Mr. Richard Tinubu And Hon. Oyintiloye did not appear in Ede North today.

“The above were the questions that agitated my mind today when Fresh Fm Osogbo carried a news item wherein stakeholders from Alusekere Ward 5 of Ede North claimed that those gentlemen were not the ones who came to Ede today.

“They claimed (through further questioning by me) that one Comrade Tunde Lawal made an announcement of chosen names of councillorship candidates for Ede North.

“To the best of my knowledge, Mr. Richard Tinubu and Hon. Oyintiloye were listed as those who were to come to Ede North for the exercise.

“What Comrade Tunde Lawal did in Ede North today cannot stand any legal scrutiny. And, of course he is the Legal Officer of our party in Ede North. Maybe, he has an explanation to give.

“My major worry is the wellbeing of the two gentlemen posted to Ede North who were not sighted at all. My worry stems from the fact that there was a similar kidnapping of the daughter of a very important leader of ACN in 2010 during a similar exercise.”

It is Injustice, May Lead Party To Doom – Aspirant

Another member of the IleriOluwa camp and a chairmanship aspirant in Ife Central West Local Council Development Area, Barr. Taiwo Adedoyin, has rejected the primary election of the APC, describing it as a sham and disgrace to principles of democracy.

Adedoyin stated that some leaders of the party in the LCDA manipulated the process and presented a candidate without consulting other aspirants. 

The aspirant who spoke to newsmen on Monday, disclosed that the two options given by the party was primaries or affirmation, noting that none was followed in the LCDA. 

He said: “What we were told by the party was that there was going to be either affirmation or primaries to be conducted for the aspirants. On Saturday morning, we mobilised our people to the collation centers of every ward. We got there on the dot of 9am and we left there at about 3pm after the people who were supposed to conduct the election did not show up. There was no election in all the wards. 

“We later heard that some set of leaders at the LCDA sat somewhere to write the result which we were not part of. This is an injustice and if not properly addressed, it may lead to the end of the party in the state. 

“If we are saying we want democracy, it is better that we do it the way that it should be done. What they (party leaders) have done is injustice to all the aspirants who took their time to buy forms, to campaign in various wards, to solicit support, only for some people to go and sit down somewhere to say they want to pick somebody. 

“Nobody has emerged, to the best of my understanding and if they claim somebody has emerged, that means the person emerged through the back door, which is not allowed.

“If there is a consensus arrangement, it must be known to all the aspirants, it is not that they will just do it somewhere in secret and come up with a name. It has to be transparent, if there is going to be consensus, I must know the reason why they are choosing that person over the others”.