The then leading Oyo South Senatorial Hopeful on the platform of the All Progressives Congress(APC), before he opted out, citing inconsistencies and irregularities, in the party’s primaries held recently, Senator Rilwan Adesoji Akanbi has approached court and instituted a case against Oyo APC leadership, on the outcome of the “purported” party’s primaries, who saw Barr Sarafadeen Alli as APC flag bearer in the district.
In a media chat, early on Thursday, the Okanlomo of Ibadan Land, Akanbi noted that he is a core progressive who strongly believes in leadership and collective interests.”I’m a a core progressive who strongly believes in leadership and collective interests. So, I intentionally suspended the struggle before, in order to have full time and energy, to face presidential ‘primary election’ project of my leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and now that it is done and dusted, victoriously. I’m fully back to the Oyo South Senatorial Agenda.
I will fight this cause to the logical conclusion, in order to strengthen internal democracy in our party, and uphold spirits and letters of our Electoral Acts.
“Yes, unequivocally, I can clearly inform you that I’ve instituted a case against the APC leadership, in the state because party’s leadership violated provisions of Electoral Acts that guide conduct of primaries.
“If the leadership of our great party, APC at national level could make the lists of delegates available days before the primary election proper and we’re able to see and interact with the delegates before presidential primary election exercise, please, how much more is making delegates’ list of Oyo South Senatorial District available before the purported conduct of the primaries.
“Aside being a Chieftain of SWAGA, I served in strategic and planning committee of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Campaign Council during the APC presidential primaries. Party leadership at national level provided delegates’ lists days before convention. We visited them and talked to them.
We marketed our agenda, ideas and political product, in person of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, days before the exercise. We knew our delegates and they as well knew us, before primaries.
Akanbi continued,”I and my comrades, especially, Senator Solomon Adeola Yayi and Senator Ajibola Basiru visited many states. Atimes, we would need to wait for some aspirants or their representatives engaging delegates to leave before it became our turns. This is beauty of democracy, unlike shenanigans that we witnessed in Oyo South Senatorial District.
“In the planning and strategy, we had 30-man committee. 5 men per zone. So, we’re able to meet the delegates whenever they arrive. For example, Oyo had 99 delegates in the presidential primaries. We met them, we familiarised ourselves with them,we interacted with them and we engaged them, before primaries. But in Oyo South, our case was different during the Primaries. We didn’t know the delegates to sell our ideas and programmes for. No delegates list, no proper arrangements. Nothing nothing except imposition. Despite the fact that my lawyer wrote the party leadership in the state to make delegates’ list available and they acknowledged the receipt of the letter, still, nothing was done before the purported primaries.
“If we could see and interact with delegates across the country, please, what caused difficulty in making Oyo South senatorial district’s delegates’ list available, days, before the purported primaries. So, I’m left with no option than to seek legal redress on the matters. I’ve approached law court on the issue, to fight imposition and manipulation. And this will also serve as deterrent to other impostors and tyrants in politics.
He recalled,”Nationally, we were able to conduct a rancour-free, peaceful and successful special convention because there was no imposition and aspirants were allowed to express their freewill and sell their ideas
On the Chances of APC winning the Senatorial election, Akanbi fumed and submitted that,”Also, let me add this that with this kind of authocratic styles, they must not expect victory, or else the matters are properly addressed, any time soon.”he emphasized.
