The immediate past chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo state has reiterated calls for calm among party faithful and supporters in view of the controversies surrounding the emergence of new executive committee members at Ward, Local Government and State levels.
The crisis reached its crescendo last week when Mr. Ajiboye Omodewu was issued the Certificate of Return by the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) in Abuja thus signalling his recognition as the new state chairman amid protest by the other group of eminent party leaders and stakeholders.
Chief Oke, in a statement issued today and made available to journalists in Ibadan, claimed it was time he broke his silence “in view of unfounded rumours and misrepresentation of facts making the rounds over the management of the lists generated by various stakeholders at Ward and Local Government levels in conformity with the directives on Consensus option as the basis for nomination of executive members.
“In all honesty, my main goal is to enjoy my private life after serving the Progressive family for more than six decades and this implies that I am not going to remain in the saddle as the party chairman beyond this moment for any reason. However, I owe an average member of the party the duty of leaving behind a legacy one can be proud of. We maintain that all we submitted to various Congress committees that came to the state were the lists received from relevant stakeholders at that time and the fact was established that no other list was submitted by any other person or group.
“To set the record straight, the names of party chairmen generated from the consensus arrangement carried out in all the local government areas are; Gbade Adeyemi (Afijio), Adelowo Ademola (Atiba), Yunusa Kareem (Oyo East), Michael Awolola (Oyo West), Adekunle Ademola (Ibarapa Central), Olusegun Ojediran (Ibarapa East), Adetunji Omolewu (Ibarapa North), Kamardeen Salau (Ogbomoso South), Raimi Aremu (Ogbomoso North), Ayuba Lukman (Oriire), Kazeem Alao (Ogo-Oluwa), Isaac Aremu (Surulere), Emmanuel Akinbode (Akinyele), Ibrahim Animasaun-Agbedo (Egbeda), Adesina Adeagbo (Ona-Ara), Waheed Akinleye (Oluyole), Akeeb Alarape (Ido), Fatai Awoyoola (Lagelu), Taofeek Olayiwola (Ibadan North), Jelili Asukuna (Ibadan North West), Wahab Adebisi (Ibadan North East), Jelili Asukuna (Ibadan North West), Muyiwa Adebiyi (Ibadan South East), Sunday Babalola (Ibadan South West), Anthony Ogunleke (Iseyin), Moshood Oluokun (Iwajowa), Jacob Siyanbade (Kajola), Sikirullahi Osuolale (Itesiwaju), Sulaimon Aderogba (Oorelope), Yekinni Awoyake (Irepo), Aremu Oluwasegun William (Olorunsogo), Abel Okeyoyin (Atisbo), Afolabi Fatokun (Saki East) and Idris Ogundiya (Saki West).
“In the same vein, the harmonised list of State Executive Committee members endorsed and submitted by Zonal leaders at the residence of former governor, late Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, are; Adejare Gbadamosi (State Chairman), Moshood Abas (Deputy Chairman), Tajudeen Olanite (State Secretary), Omolola Odekunbi (Sate Woman Leader), Richard Oluseyi (State Youth Leader), Alaba Bolarinwa (Assistant Secretary), Taiwo Moteleola (Welfare Secretary), Lekan Busari (Treasurer), Wasiu Sadare (Publicity Secretary), Lukman Anwo (Auditor), Kamaldeen Nageri (Financial Secretary), Mathew Adeyemo (Organising Secretary), Wahab Alade (Legal Adviser), Dele Ladapo (Leader, Special Persons), Olalekan Adeyemo (Oyo Central Senatorial Leader), Tunde Oloyede (Oyo North Senatorial Leader) and Najimudeen Abass (Oyo South Senatorial Leader).
“Others include; Rafiu Oke (Deputy Youth Leader), Sakirat Balogun (Oyo South Senatorial Woman Leader), Akeem Abimbola (Ex-Officio 2), Rasheed Ogunbiyi (Senatorial Youth Leader, Oyo South), Oye Akinrinade (Asst. Legal Adviser), Olalekan Esho (Ex-Officio 1), Muritala Ahmed (Asst. Organising Secretary), Mukaila Shittu (Asst. Publicity Secretary), Adepoju Aderemi (Asst. Auditor), Beatrice Odunola (Senatorial Woman Leader, Oyo Central), John Oyetunji (Ex-Officio 4), Julius Adegbola (Asst. Financial Secretary), Akin Akinwale (Senatorial Youth Leader, Oyo Central), Sikiru Adedeji (Senatorial Youth Leader, Oyo North), Julius Adegbola (Asst. Financial Secretary), Muyiwa Adeniran (Asst. Welfare Secretary), Rihanat Salam (Senatorial Woman Leader, Oyo North), Dauda Saliu Ajana (Ex-Officio 1), Mariam Azeez (Deputy State Woman Leader) and Assistant Treasurer (nomination yet to be made).
“Going forward, it is necessary for us to appeal to the national leadership of the party to consider treating Oyo APC issue the same way with those of Kano and Sokoto states where more time have been devoted to resolving the lingering intra-party crisis for true and genuine reconciliation to take place. Also, I use this opportunity to urge members to remain calm and optimistic as we all need ourselves and as a result of this, every leader and member of Oyo APC must eschew divisive tendencies. We must avoid confrontation and violence because we all remain members of the same family and our collective goal should be victory in 2023.” The statement concluded.
