Until yesterday, Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, two-term member representing Oluyole federal constituency in the house of representatives under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, thought she was untouchable but not minding what they would benefit from the ranking lawmaker, majority of her party members served her expulsion letter.
Majority of the party stakeholders who spoke to OYOINSIGHT.COM said they were prepared for whatever happens in the next three years when her current tenure expires.
Alleging anti-party activities on the part of Sadipe, the decision to expel Akande-Sadipe was reached at an enlarged meeting of the APC in Oluyole local government Area, held at Community Primary School, Olomi, Ibadan, on Monday.
The party chairman in the council area, Alhaji Waheed Akinleye, told newsmen after the meeting that the party received a letter about Akande-Sadipe’s anti-party activities from executives of Ward 10, which is the lawmaker’s ward. He said after careful investigation, the allegations were confirmed to be true and the decision to expel her from the party was reached.
According to him, Akande-Sadipe remains a member of the House of Representatives, but the general public should desist from conducting any business that has to do with APC with her.
Hours after, she has kept mute and her media office is yet to react to the development. The leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state had yet to react to the development. Those in the know of events say the party is tired of her behaviour.
Sadipe, the only female out of the 9 APC rep members, had come into prominence in 2016 when late former governor Abiola Ajimobi appointed her adviser on project and later investment promotion. She was later handed the APC ticket to contest the Oluyole seat in 2019 and 2023.
Multiple sources who spoke with OYOINSIGHT.COM confirmed that Sadipe has always proved difficult to deal with.
“She is fighting virtually every party member in Oluyole LGA. She doesn’t attend any APC meeting but she sponsors her factional group named CRV to counter whatever the party people do. She wrote a damaging petition to a security agency against the party chairman and two other members last month. The chairman was asked to be at the security office on his daughter’s wedding day… Both parties believe there can never be any successful reconciliation effort to unite them, said a source.
Asked what CRV means, the source explained that “the Community Relations Vanguard… She calls them her foot soldiers and mobilizers… They hold their Ward meetings regularly.”
Also speaking, a former chairman of Oluyole Local Government, Hon James Adeleke, said it was unfortunate that the lawmaker would treat her constituents with such a high level of disdain, adding that the decision to expel her was taken by all leaders and stakeholders of the party in the local government.
The chairman, APC Ward 10, Pa Segun Akintunde, said Akande-Sadipe had abandoned APC members in the ward as well as those that supported and worked for her emergence as a two-term lawmaker.
Akintunde said she had been fraternising with members of the opposition for a long time, adding that the lawmaker was warned several times to change her ways, but she had remained adamant, daring the leaders and members of the party.
He stated that after a voice vote, members and stakeholders agreed to expel Akande-Sadipe from the party in Oluyole Local Government Area.
Another party leader who craved anonymity said Akande-Sadipe is known for not respecting constituted authority. “She did similar thing when they national leadership of the party instructed all APC members to support Tajudeen Abass as its speakership candidate. She supported another person. That act denied Oluyole many things as she was not given chairmanship of any committee. Can she compare what she got in the first four years when as a first-term member, she chaired the diaspora committee?”
Spokesperson of the party, Alhaji Olawale Sadare, who initially declined to comment on the matter, later sent a terse WhatsApp message, assuring that “We appeal for calm as necessary steps shall be taken in a matter of hours to resolve the matter amicably.”
