Facts are beginning to emerge on how Chief Akin Oke was named the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo State contrary to the resolution of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party that last Friday instructed its Deputy National Chairman (North), Sen Lawan Shuaibu, to reconcile and harmonise party positions between the warring factions of the party.
The Oyo State chapter of APC has been enmeshed in crisis due to irreconcilable differences.
Insight Oyo recently reported how the Unity Forum of the party exposed how the loyalists of the governor- SENACO, failed to obtain nomination forms for the May 5th, 2018 ward congress in the state.
The group later in a paid advetorial exposed how three members of the House of Representatives from the state paid for the forms on Monday, 7th May, 2018, three days after the deadline.
Sources revealed to Insight Oyo that shortly after the swearing-in ceremony at the party headquarters, the Shuaibu hosted Senator Monsurat Sumonu, Hon. Bosun Oladele, Hon. Dapo Lam-Adesina and Hon. Ladi Oluokun, a former local government chairman in the State to a meeting in his office where he disclosed to them that it was the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibajo who instructed the NWC to change its decision on setting up a reconciliation and harmonisation committee on Oyo State and swear in Chief Akin Oke, the 80 year old Chairman who had served 12 years as party chairman in the state.
Shuaibu had earlier scheduled a meeting on reconciliation and harmonisation with members of the Unity Forum.
He was explaining the swearing-in of Oke ahead of reconciliation when the members of the Unity Forum protested.
He was said to have explained that the NWC had reviewed the congresses in Oyo State and resolved that the congresses by the two groups be harmonised to an executive committee comprising all sides.
The explanation, Insight Oyo was told, shocked the visitors who then wondered the future of Nigeria when otherwise respected people will promote impunity in the party and in the country.
Another source told Insight Oyo that some aides of the governor had been upbeat overnight when they claimed that Osinbajo had instructed the NWC to abandon its report which indicted Ajimobi’s supporters of not collecting nomination forms and instead swear in Akin Oke on the basis of the congress they never participated in.
In excitement, Ajimobi’s loyalists had through the governor’s media office, sent out stories to newspaper houses claiming Oke would be sworn in.
They however recalled the story when they were warned that the story could precipitate litigation ahead of the swearing in.
Meanwhile, members of the Unity Forum will, this morning, filed their case at an Abuja Federal High Court to challenge the inauguration of Oke.
Remember Insight Oyo reporter how members of the Unity Forum which included a senator, a minister and 8 House of Representatives’ members were manhandled and teargassed by policemen at the APC national headquarters where they had gone to protest what they called ‘illegal inauguration of Akin Oke.
