No aggrieved aspirant would be left behind, Oyo APC chieftains assure members

Two chieftains of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin and Prof. Taoreed Adedoja, on Wednesday, assured party members that all concerns and complaints raised by stakeholders would be addressed to position the party for victory in the 2027 general elections.

They also assured members that “no aggrieved aspirant would be left behind in the ongoing reconciliation efforts.”

The duo, while delivering their acceptance speeches as Chairman and Co-chairman of the Oyo APC Reconciliation Committee in Ibadan, lauded the Chief Moses Adeyemo-led State Executive Committee for the initiative, describing it as a step in the right direction.

In his opening address, the state APC Chairman, Adeyemo, urged committee members to deploy their goodwill, wisdom and wealth of experience in resolving grievances arising from the party’s recent congresses and primaries to ensure the APC approaches the forthcoming elections as a united and formidable political family.

He said, “We are not oblivious of the fact that the outcome of the last congresses, which produced executive committee members for the party at all levels, as well as the recent primaries which produced candidates for the 2027 elections, left in their wake some grievances among certain members and stakeholders, but we do not want this to snowball into an intractable crisis capable of undermining our chances at the polls.

“On our part, we are ready to dialogue with the aggrieved members and see what we can do to assuage their feelings. With the calibre of people in this committee, we have no doubt that you will do a thorough job and come up with the desired results within the next few weeks because we want absolute peace and unity to reign in Oyo APC before, during and after the forthcoming polls.

“It is understood that agitations are loud because the APC remains the party to beat in any election in the country, but we do not want to take anything for granted at this moment since we have our eyes on delivering one million votes to President Bola Tinubu and also returning to the Agodi Government House next year.”

Other members of the reconciliation committee inaugurated on Wednesday at the APC Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, include Senator Brimo Yusuf, Chief Akin Oke, Senator Hosea Agboola, Mrs Kemi Alao-Akala, Hon. Niran Alarape, Hon. Olagunju Ojo, Dr Adebayo Adewusi, Pa Timothy Jolaoso, Alhaji Abu Gbadamosi, Engr. Idris Adeoye, Alhaji Isiaka Alimi, Aare Abisoye Fagade, Dr Adekemi Opatunde, Engr. Dayo Lawal, Chief Goke Oyetunji, Alhaji Mufutau Adisa, Alhaji Kamorudeen Ajisafe and Mrs Mabel Williams, among others.

PUNCH Online reports that APC members in Oluyole Local Government Area on Tuesday urged the state party leadership to affirm Abiodun Gbolagade as the winner of the recent primary election for the Oluyole Federal Constituency.

The party members and stakeholders from the constituency made the appeal during a peaceful protest at the state party secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan South-West Local Government Area.

Speaking during the protest, Gbolagade said he had been financing party activities in the local government for the past seven years, claiming that “The primary election for Oluyole Federal Constituency was conducted successfully, and I was declared winner with over 2,000 votes, while the incumbent, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, polled 36 votes.

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“I want to urge the party leadership to strictly adhere to the results as announced, as this would strengthen unity and improve the APC’s chances in the 2027 general elections in the state.”

Also speaking, a retired civil servant, Mr Awo Adeleke, insisted that “Gbolagade won the primary election and should be issued the party’s ticket for the House of Representatives election.”

Another protester, who did not want her name in print, said, “For the past eight years, Sadipe has neglected us, party members. That is why we have pitched our tents with Gbolagade, who we believe can ensure victory for the party.

“We are here to appeal to the leadership of the Oyo APC to strictly follow the outcome of the primary election, which declared Gbolagade the winner, and not Sadipe.”

Also, the state chapter of the APC on Monday reiterated that the list of its candidates for the National Assembly seats in the 2027 general elections remained unchanged.

A statement issued by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, in Ibadan stated, “The list emanated from the National Working Committee of the party, which processed the results generated from the primaries conducted in May this year.

“The national secretariat of the APC has uploaded the names of its candidates for the three senatorial districts, and 14 House of Representatives seats in Oyo State on the Independent National Electoral Commission portal as required by law, and this was followed by the filing of the commission’s nomination forms by the individual candidates at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.”

Sadare said he was surprised that “some aspirants who did not secure the desired party tickets were misleading the public with false claims on social media, while their supporters continued efforts to create a crisis within the party.

“For the avoidance of doubt, nothing has changed from what was made public last week. The names submitted to INEC are as follows: Senator Yunus Akintunde, Hon. Aderemi Oseni and Mrs Hannah Ogunesan as candidates for Oyo Central, Oyo South and Oyo North Senatorial Districts, respectively, while House of Representatives candidates are Hon. Akeem Adeyemi (Afijio/Atiba/Oyo East/Oyo West), Hon. Segun Odebunmi (Ogo-Oluwa/Surulere), Hon. Tajudeen Abisodun Kareem (Atisbo/Saki East/Saki West);

“Hon. Akin Alabi (Egbeda/Ona-Ara), Hon. Olafisoye Akinmoyede (Akinyele/Lagelu), Hon. Folake Olunloyo-Oshinowo (Ibadan North-West/Ibadan South-West), Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe (Oluyole), Hon. Olamijuwon Alao-Akala (Ogbomoso North/Ogbomoso South/Oriire), Hon. Olatubosun Oladele (Irepo/Olorunsogo/Oorelope), Hon. Umar Farouk Alao (Ibadan North), Hon. Ibrahim Iyiola (Ibadan North-East/Ibadan South-East), Hon. Sarafa Olaoniye (Ibarapa Central/Ibarapa North), Hon. Saheed Adejare Yusuf (Kajola/Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Iwajowa) and Hon. Yusuf Asimiyu Osuolale (Ibarapa East/Ido).”