The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo State came to the fore fully yesterday as the congress meant to elect new executives of the party in Ibadan North local government took place in two different venues, with three party chairmen emerging.
Across the 774 local government areas in the country, the APC had fixed yesterday as the date for its congress.
This came despite the non-declaration of winners of the ward congress earlier held four weeks ago.
This newspaper understands that yesterday’s situation was unlike the ward congress where everybody gathered in the same place. Though party leaders from the council area had, after the ward congress, petitioned the appeal committee over what they described as Musiliudeen Akinremi’s highhandedness. Popularly known as Jagaban, Akinremi represents Ibadan North federal constituency and he is also a member of the Mala Mai Buni led convention planning committee of the APC.
This newspaper learnt that yesterday’s congress had originally been slated for Ibadan Municipal Government, IMG, Primary school, Oke Apon.
However, the party, which had already been divided into three factions, held parallel congresses in the council area.
While two took place at IMG, Oke Apon, the other one took place at Immanuel College. Akinremi however was absent from the two congresses.
The Hilary Amodu-led congress committee was present at both venues.
The Immanuel College faction had leaders like Mr. Tosin Ayoade, Prince Gbadebo, Hon. Femi Adedokun, Hon. Akeem Adebiyi, Elder Fatoyinbo and Leader Nureni Yusuf while those of IMG, Oke Apo had Sharafadeen Alli, Murphy Adewale, Wale Sanusi and others.
While the Oke Apon congresses produced Tirimisiyu Saka and Ajibade Waheed as chairmen of their respective factions, that of Samonda produced Taofeek Olayiwola.
Though it was yet to be known, as at press time, which of the congresses the committee will accept, Hilary, who briefed reporters at the APC state secretariat, Oke-Ado, Ibadan explained that “With what we discussed at the stakeholders’ meeting that we held on Friday, the entire stakeholders know that there is an agreed and approved venue for the congress in each local government. So, if you take the congress outside the approved venue, I don’t think that is a congress. Whatever you did there will be declared null and void.”
