Ward Congress Deepens Osun APC Crisis

 

Ismaeel Uthman

THE Ward Congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC), held on Saturday has totally exposed the sharp division in the progressives’ family in the State of Osun.

Parallel congress was held in majority of the local governments of the state by the group gunning for consensus, with exception of Ila and Boluwaduro.

This is the first time the progressives’ family would resort to parallel congress, since the inception of the Fourth Republic. 

OSUN DEFENDER, which went round the state to observe the congress, noted that there was large turnout of party faithful and members who had gathered as early as 7am to elect the executive members in each of their various wards. 

But only a few places were free of skirmishes because of the unresolved mode that the congress would take.

Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, who is a member of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) and Caretaker Chairman of the APC in the state, Prince Gboyega Famodun, had insisted on using consensus for the Ward Congress.

The Caretaker Secretary and Deputy Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Rasaq Salinsile and Alhaji Azeez Adesiji and former Chairman of the party, Reverend Adelowo Adebiyi also led other notable members of the party to demand for election modality for the congress. 

However, members of the two camps, christened IleriOluwa group and The Osun Progressives (TOP), went for the congress on Saturday, even as the former boycotted the exercise in majority of the wards where election was held, thereby resorting to parallel arrangement to get through with their scheme.  

OSUN DEFENDER noted that the Congress Committee, which announced its arrival on Friday evening at the Government House, Osogbo, only visited Ward 1, Iragbiji, the hometown of Governor Oyetola, Isedo Ward, Ila-Orangun, the hometown of Chief Bisi Akande, former National Chairman of the APC, Igbajo, Famodun’s hometown, and Moore Ward 1, Ile-Ife, the hometown of Senator Iyiola Omisore.

The committee, led by the former Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Gbenga Elegbeleye, did not visit any of the wards in Osogbo, Ilesa, Iwo, Ejigbo, Ede, or any other place. 

Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were not also at majority of the wards where the congress was held, even as they were accused of bias in few of the wards where they witnessed the exercise. 

Members of the IleriOluwa group boycotted election in every ward, on the ground that they had a consensus list of candidates to emerge as the APC ward executive, a development that led to chaos in some of the places.