As the dust raised by the crisis resulting from the parallel congresses held by the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo State is settling down, a political group in the state, The Core Progressives Forum, TCPF, comprising of notable progressives across the state, has proffered that the choice of gubernatorial candidate for the next year’s election is critical to the final resolution of the lingering crisis.
The group, in a statement in Ibadan today, a copy of which was made available to www.oyoinsight.com, said that Governor Abiola Ajimobi and party leadership must ensure that the party picks a candidate with profound appeal to all the warring members “and possessing adequate political experience and tenacity to galvanize party members and as well draw new members to the party. He must also be a person of high integrity known for peace, progress and development of Oyo State.”
The statement, signed by the State Coordinator of the group, Alhaji Akeem Oladeji, stated “the issue at stake has gone pass the personality of the governor, hence the need to see that the candidate of the party for the gubernatorial election possesses the right credentials and qualities requisite for victory for the party.”
The group noted that once the party chooses the right candidate with the full participation of the hierarchies of the party, the crisis would dissolve.
Oladeji said “the time has come for the aggrieved members to shealth their swords and stop being egoistic and personal about issues stressing that agitating for sharing of posts now or working against the interest of the party would not yield them nor the party any good.
“With the new executives put in place at all the levels in the state, as a group made up of politically experienced people, we know the time for agitations for party posts is gone. Without apportioning blame whatsoever, we want to appeal to our people to let us all move on and join the new executives in the process of strengthening our party.
“It is a clear fact that APC remains the most potent and popular party in Oyo State and Nigeria and for anybody with serious political importance that wants progress for himself, his ward, community, local government, the state and Nigeria, APC is the place to be. We should all therefore concentrate efforts towards the growth of our party in our different wards in the overall of the party and our candidates for next year general elections.
“We also know that at this crucial stage, it is binding on the our State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and the leadership of the party to do an extensive search across the state in order to give us the right candidate that would suit the present circumstances; a candidate with the most profound appeal to the majority of our members, the aggrieved members and the generality of the people of Oyo State; a candidate with adequate knowledge and sound political experience capable of galvanizing party members and as well draw credible and valuable new members to APC.
“With a right candidate, we are certain that all the members of the Unity Forum and others grumbling within the mainstream will all return and be pleased with the leadership and the party. What every right thinking party man is looking for is continued success of the party at the polls and continuity of APC at all levels of government,” Oladeji added.
Already, he disclosed, a number of the warring Unity Group members are retracing their steps to the party while some are planning to exit and a few others undecided. But basically, most of their leaders particularly those with political appointments have decided to stay put in APC.
