Unknown to many people, especially members of the Oyo State chapter of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, former governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun State, was in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to reconcile aggrieved governorship candidates of the party.
The effort, OYO INSIGHT gathered, was unsuccessful as seven of the aspirants- Hon. Festus Adegoke, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, Dr Yunus Akintunde, Engr Remi Oseni, Sen. Gbenga Babalola, Dr Dele Adigun and Mr Oluseye Opatoki, agreed to wait for the outcome of the court case. Barr Lowo Obisesan couldn’t make it to the meeting as he was out of the country.
Lanlehin was not invited to the meeting, “though he was aware,“ sources told OYO INSIGHT.
This newspaper had reported how 12 of the aspirants had approached the court following what they described as the imposition of Sen. Olufemi Lanlehin as the party’s governorship candidate in the state.
The crisis led to the submission of the names of the party’s national secretary, Dr Dele Ajadi, as its tentative governorship candidate as they couldn’t meet the deadline. As at the time of filing this report, it was learnt that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is yet to substituted.
While the 7 out the 12 aggrieved aspirants are still with the party and yet to take decision, 5 others- Engr Remi Olaniyan, Dr. Nureni Adeniran, Dr Ayodele Adigun and Dr Kola Balogun have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, while Barr. Sharafadeen Alli joined the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP with former governor Rashidi Ladoja.
At the meeting which took place at Suite 4 of Bayse One hotel, the aggrieved aspirants were said to have expressed displeasure with the leadership of the party over its ‘siddon look’ attitude.
“The aspirants were angry that the party just deemed it fit to call them after over two months. The crisis started on October 7, 2018 and today is December 28, 2018. Is that good?.”
Oyinlola later promised to convey their grievances to former president Olusegun Obasanjo.
