Ondo APC ward congress has created division, say leaders
Leaders of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have rejected the just-concluded ward congress of the party. The leaders, under the aegis of a support group, PBAT Mandate Elders
Leaders of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have rejected the just-concluded ward congress of the party.
The leaders, under the aegis of a support group, PBAT Mandate Elders Forum, said the congress held across the 18 local governments had created division and faction in the party in the state.
They alleged that the party held parallel congresses during the exercise.
The APC ward congress held in the state turned bloody last Wednesday, as violent clashes and sporadic gunshots reportedly left no fewer than two persons dead and five others injured.
Raphael Adetimehin, younger brother to the party’s Chairman, Ade Adetimehin, who was injured and attacked during the clash, was among the victims.
The exercise, which produced ward executives across the 203 wards of the state, was mostly disrupted in Idanre Local Government Area of the state by suspected thugs allegedly working for members of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state.
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Addressing reporters after their meeting held yesterday in Akure, coordinator of the group and an elder statesman, Damola Ijabiyi, said the leaders had written to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the conduct of the exercise.
Ijabiyi, who expressed dissatisfaction about the manner of the conduct of the ward congress and how it was managed by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, noted that the leaders could not keep mute and ignore what characterised the congress.
“We cannot ignore what happened in our ward congress where we had parallel congresses in most of the wards. We have already written a memo to President Tinubu on what to be done on it.
“We are well briefed here and we expect that the President will do something to address the situation in Ondo State, so as not to create a permanent division in the party. But right now, that’s what the ward congress has created, division.
“We are not happy. We are disheartened about it because the congress was organised and implemented without the input of elders. Those who were used by the governor for the congresses are his aides, commissioners, special assistants and so on,” he said.
Ijabiyi alleged that there was imposition of executives on leaders of the party during the congresses, noting that the outcome of the exercise was not satisfactory to members.
He said there was no visible division in the party before the congress, but mere rumours of a division existing between Governor Aiyedatiwa and Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
He added that the elders in the party at the state level were not aware of any fight between the duo, because both parties would often say there was no fight between them.
“As far as we elders are concerned, we were not aware of it. So, we didn’t go into it. Because if you ask BTO, he will say there’s nothing between him and the governor.
“But the ward congress has brought everything out. We were not sure of what was really happening. But everything has come out in the ward congress whereby the party has now become divided into two.
“Those who are with the governor, commissioned by the governor to prepare lists of ward congress executives, they are there. Then the rest of us, the party leaders are not there. The instruction from the national executive is that we’ll return those who are there now.
“Subject to modifications in respect of those who have left or those who have answered the call of nature. But that’s not what we saw. The governor was preparing a list using his people,” he said.
Vice Chairman of the group Olorunnibe Tawose said stakeholders in the party must urgently intervene, especially in the recent ward congress, to avoid deepened crisis.
He, however, lauded Tunji-Ojo for his support, noting that leaders and elders of the party had continued to enjoy monthly health care services to improve their living conditions.
Assistant Secretary of the forum, Princess Bukky Oludero, noted that the body had impacted on the lives of the elders in the state for the past one year.
Recall that the police said it had arrested 13 suspects linked to the violent attack that occurred in Idanre Local Government during the APC ward congress.
Confirming the arrest of the suspects in a statement, spokesman for the police command, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, said they were nabbed following a carefully-coordinated, intelligence-led operation ordered by the Commissioner of Police (CP) Adebowale Lawal.
Abayomi listed the suspects, who are all men, to include: Adewusi, 38; Dele, 28; Akinkurole, 38; Victor, 30; Abbas, 30; Michael, 35; Jolojolo, 36; Ifedayo, 38; Olamilekan, 25; Emmanuel, 25; Sunday, 49; Michael, 55; and Monday, 25 years.
