Few hours to the expiration of the ultimatum issued by members Unity Forum to the national working committee of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, the party has responded.
OYO INSIGHT had exclusively reported how members of the Unity Forum, a breakaway faction of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state had issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the leadership of the party over alleged domineering tendencies of factions loyal to former governor Rashidi Ladoja and Chief Michael Koleoso.
Crisis had started when, after major stakeholders had agreed to postpone the planned state congress, factions loyal to the two politicians came forward with names of state executives who emerged at a congress that didn’t take place.
Findings by OYO INSIGHT however revealed that there 35 people out of the 99 constitutionally recognised persons at the purported congress. “Each of the local government areas is expected to have 3 delegates. No official of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was present. Before the day, INEC should have been furnished with delegates’ list and guideline. None was produced despite several requests by officials of the commission,” the source told this newspaper.
The source continued: “As at the close of work today (Friday), three days after the purported congress, only 3 out of the 33 local government areas are ready with their delegates’ list. If that is the case, how was the congress done?
But in an exclusive chat with OYO INSIGHT, the national secretary of the party, Alhaji Said Baba Abdullahi confirmed that the leadership of the party is worried about the development.
According to him, they are not leaving any stone unturned in their bid to make everybody happy at the end of everything.
Abdullahi told this newspaper that “Oyo is one of the states where our party is strong. We know how powerful members of the Unity Forum are. We know how everybody is important in the scheme of things. We acknowledge the fact that it is normal for crisis to occur in a party like ours. However, we know we must urgently tackle it. And I can confirm to you that we have reached out to all concerned stakeholders. In sha Allah, we will all laugh at the end of the day.
“Let me tell you: we can not afford to lose any member. We will make sure that the right is done so as to be fully prepared for the forthcoming election.
Up till now, there was no list of those who voted. There were 35 persons at the venue where the purported congress took place.