The lingering crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state reached its peak on Sunday as the two factions within the party held parallel local government congresses across the 33 local government areas in the state.
The two camps battling for the soul of the party include the one loyal to the state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi know as SENACO and the one loyal to a former Governor of the State, Alhaji Lamidi Adesina known as LAMISTS, now referred to as Unity Forum.
The two groups it was gathered held parallel local government congresses due to the failure of both camp to reach a compromise and resolve crisis emanating from the ward congress held last Sunday in the State.
The ward Congress supposed to hold upper Saturday but as a result of the disagreements between the two camps, the Congress was shifted to last Sunday.
While the Unity Forum held their own congresses in the party secretariat, schools and event centres within the local government area in case of security challenges, the one loyal to the state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi had its own at the local government secretariat.
In Ibadan North West Local Government area the Unity Forum held their own congress at Zonta Hall, Jericho while the one loyal to the governor held their own within the premises of Ibadan North West secretariat, located at Onireke.
Also, in Ibadan North local government, the Unity Forum held its own congress at the party secretariat located at Yemetu Oja, the one loyal to the state Governor held their own at the premises of the local government secretariat, Agodi Gate.
The same thing was recorded in Ibadan North East where the unity forum held its own congress at the premises of Christ the king School, Agugu, the one loyal to the state Governor held their own congress within the premises of the local government area, located at Iwo Road.
It was further gathered that similar situation was recorded in Ona Ara local government area where the Unity Forum held its own congress at l.D.C School, Olunloyo area, the camp loyal to the state Governor held their own within the premises of the secretariat of the local government area located located at Akanran.
In Egbeda local government, APC Unity Forum held its own at the party office located at Wema Area along New Ife-Road, the SENACO group held its own at the premises of the local government secretariat in Egbeda.
In Ibadan South East, the camp loyal to the governor held its own congress at Mapo Hall while Unity Forum held its own in one of the secondary schools within the local government area.
It was also gathered that same thing happened in Ogbomoso South local government area and other council areas in Ogbomoso, Oyo, Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa geopolitical zones of the state.
Speaking on why parallel congresses were held, Secretary of APC Unity Forum, Dr. Wasiu Olatunbosun informed that the need to have their own congresses in all the council areas is because the group, Unity Forum is the one that have legal right to partake in the election.
Olatunbosun while addressing journalists on Sunday in Ibadan, the state capital said “There should be because they could not hold their ward congress. I don’t know where they generated their delegate list.
“As at May 4, they have not paid for the forms. They did not have the tellers, so where did they generated their own ward and local government delegate list? As at Saturday, May 5, they could not produce the tellers for the forms.
“So, where did they get the tellers, where did they get the forms.
“It is the APC Unity Forum that can conduct APC ward congress. It is there that we generated the delegate list for the local government congress. What matter to us is that we have our own congress.
But, one of the Special Advisers to the Governor and House of Representatives aspirant for Ibadan North East/ Ibadan South East, Hon. Deji Aboderin while addressing journalists at the venue of the camp loyal to the state Governor in Mapo, declared that he was not aware of any parallel congress in the local government.
Aboderin who expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the congress said there is no other location where congress of the political party is held outside Mapo Hall since 1999.
Newly elected APC Chairman of Ibadan South East, Hon. Bimbo Omiyale also said he was not aware of any parallel congress in the local government area.
Editor, South-West,
Lagos Post Online
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