The break laway faction of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo State, The Unity Forum, has disclosed that it was open to negotiations with registered political parties except the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, for urgent integration ahead of the forthcoming general election.
The Forum which comprised of the larger percentage of the APC membership in the state had been at loggerheads with Governor Abiola Ajimobi over control of party structures following the allegations of high-handedness and anti-party activities against the governor.
The crisis later came to its crescendo on Monday when the APC’s National Working Committee sworn-in the loyalist of the governor, Chief Akin Oke, as the State Chairman without resolving the controversies surrounding the recent conduct of party congresses.
The Forum, in a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Olawale Sadare, ruled out the possibility of agreeing to a truce with Ajimobi who it described as “the worst dictator in the history of democratic governance in the Pacesetters State whose record of deceit and insincerity would always be fresh in the memory of the people for a long time.
“Within a short period of time, we have been able to attract the interest of the leadership of many registered political parties across the country and we are weighing available options except that majority of our members are not favourably disposed to the PDP. However, we can assure the people of the state that only a platform that could best serve their interest would be adopted in no time.
“We never planned to leave the APC but recent developments which exposed the party as lacking in democratic principles and respect for the rule of law made it expedient to abandon the ruling party in the overall interest of the people. Now that lessons have been learned, never again would a pretentious brute be thrown up to man the affairs of our dear state.
“In due course, we will tender an unreserved apology to the people of the state in view of our individual and collective roles in the enthronement of a government which took them for granted in a whole seven years. This would be followed by showcase of the promise which our new political party would hold for Nigeria and Nigerians.” The statement added.
