Ahead of its state congress, stakeholders of the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have resolved that state Caretaker Chairman, Chief Akin Oke and zonal leaders meet with the Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala led advisory to fine-tune the zoning formula.
This resolution was arrived at after stakeholders at a meeting held at party office, Ibadan, on Monday, remained divided on the zoning arrangement for the next set of state executive committee members of the Oyo APC proposed by Caretaker Chairman, Chief Akin Oke.
The resort to Alao-Akala for fine-tuning of the zoning proposal came after some attendees at the meeting argued that the zoning draft was not a product of wide consultation with party members.
Though some members favoured the zoning arrangement of the offices, the meeting, held amid tight security, resolved that there was still need to meet with Alao-Akala for fine-tuning.
With Monday’s meeting resorting to the former governor, the recommendation of the zoning committee set up by the Alao-Akala led Elders Advisory council may be adopted.
In his welcome address, the Caretaker Chairman of Oyo APC, Chief Akin Oke, noted the need for party members to eschew bitterness and individual interest with a view to working together to make the party more united and formidable ahead of the next general election.
Chief Oke later read out what he called a draft document for the set of State Executive Committee which he said was carefully drafted to guarantee equitable and fair distribution of available executive positions among all the seven geopolitical zones and local government areas in the state.
Reacting to the chairman’s address, Senator Ayoade Adeseun and Chief Sarafadeen Alli called for the adoption of the document but this motion was opposed by the Chief Wale Ohu, Honourable Abiodun Adigun-Hammed and Chief Kazeem Raji.
The trio argued that the new document was produced without any recourse to the Elders’ Advisory Council and members of the State Working Committee of the party but this was immediately laid to rest by former Head of Service, Mrs Olawumi Ogunesan who suggested that a team of zonal party leaders should meet with Chief Alao-Akala to resolve the issue permanently.
Among those present at Monday’s meeting were Senator Ayo Adeseun, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, Honourable Segun Odebunmi, Honourable Akeem Adeyemi, Honourable Shina Abiola- Peller, Barrister Sarafadeen Alli, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Prof. Adeolu Akande, Chief Timothy Jolaoso, Chief Samuel Adekola, Alhaji Bashiru Ajibade, Chief Abu Gbadamosi, Honourable Asimiyu Alarape, Dr Azeez Adeduntan, Barrister Akeem Agbaje, Engineer Idris Adeoye, Mr Bimbo Kolade, Ambassador Asimiyu Olaniyi among others.
Those who sent in apologies, through their representatives, included Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, Chief Alake-Adeyemo, Senator Teslim Folarin, Mr Sunday Dare, Senator Lanlehin, AbdulFatai Buhari, Joseph Tegbe, Fatai Ibikunle and Professor Taoheed Adedoja.
It will be recalled that various Oyo APC groups had kicked against the setting up of the Honourable Musiliu Akinremi led zoning committee, necessitating Monday’s meeting.
Notwithstanding the rejection by the Oyo APC groups, the Akinremi-led zoning committee had gone ahead with its meeting which also considered the template for the zoning of the state executive committee offices template as forwarded to the Elders Advisory Council by the Caretaker Chairman, Oyo APC, Chief Akin Oke.
The meeting had ended with a resolution that the committee members should look at the proposed template vis-à-vis that of other states and come up with their recommendations at its next meeting.
