The blame game over last weekend’s ward congress of the All Progressives Congress continued on Wednesday as seven of the members of the House of Representatives from Oyo State said Governor Abiola Ajimobi was responsible for the woes that befell his group.
Since last Sunday when the Ward Congress was eventually held peacefully after botched efforts 24 hours earlier, the camps of both the governor and the group, which prides itself “Oyo APC Unity Forum”, have been at each other’s throat on the outcome of the Congress that ostensibly favoured the latter.
A press statement signed by Sunday Adepoju, who is representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency; Olusunbo Olugbemi from Oluyole Federal Constituency; Adedapo Lam Adesina from Ibadan North-East/Ibadan South-East Federal Constituency; Olasupo Abiodun from Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Iwajowa/ Kajola Federal Constituency; Olugbenga Ojoawo from Ibarapa Central/Ibarapa North Federal Constituency; Taiwo Akintola from Ona-Ara/Egbeda Federal Constituency; and Segun Ogunwuyi representing Ogbomoso North/Ogbomoso South Federal Constituency, the lawmakers catalogued the “undoings” of the governor.
The lawmakers alleged that Ajimobi’s failure to pay for nomination forms for his loyalists ahead of the ward congresses was an expression of self-styled ruling system, while calling on the Congress Committee that conducted the congresses in the state not to be intimidated by forces that could destabilise the successful conduct of the ward and other forthcoming congresses.
The statement said: “On Sunday, the power of the people triumphed in Oyo State, as members of the APC trooped out to elect ward executives of the great party ahead of the local government, state congresses and national convention. The ward congress in all 351 wards of the state was peaceful and orderly, marking the final end to the reign of impunity and injustice, which has for long been prevalent in our state chapter of the party, and which has led to the sidelining of majority members of the party.
“Members of the APC Unity Forum spoke in unison despite the reign of terror and violence unleashed on our members on Saturday at a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Congress Committee, which left many of our members battered and injured. The governor had boasted to some members of the House of Representatives in his Abuja home that the congress lists would be written and imposed.”
The group said it was saddening to note that Ajimobi could not toe the democratic line of President Muhammadu Buhari and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alleging that the governor’s loyalists prevented the submission of the congress report to the Congress Committee at the party secretariat.
It said: “We have noticed intense attempts by the governor to silence the voice of the majority, beginning with his failed attempt to submit fake forms of delegates who did not participate in the congress. Somehow, the anti-democratic forces had also ensured the cordoning off of the party secretariat by thugs and brigands, in an effort to prevent us from submitting the lawful congress report.
“We must salute the courage and bravery of the Congress Committee for standing by the values and ideals of APC to reject imposition and submission of fake congress reports. It is, however, of urgent importance to notify the national secretariat of the APC to be wary of effort to pervert the cause of justice. The governor will stop at nothing to substitute the authentic and original list produced at the lawful congress with a fake list.”