The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Oyo State is getting worse as party faithful last night vehemently opposed reported plans by the National Chairman of the party, Dr Umar Ganduje to hand over the control of the party to the dissident members who are in the Accord Party.
Many party sources in Ibadan and Abuja confirmed that the national Chairman in several meetings with the minister for power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu and leader of Accord party in Oyo State, Senator Abiola Adeseun had resolved to set up a caretaker committee to oversee the affairs of the party in the state.
Ganduje, at a meeting of some stakeholders in the party last month in Abuja, had hinted that the Omodewu-led executive committee would be dissolved to accommodate returning members from the Accord party who left the APC ahead of the last election.
Competent party sources said last night that Ganduje in the next few days will action the plan. In place of the Omodewu-led executive, a 17-member Executive Committee led by a chairman and secretary from outside the state.
It was gathered that a former Senator has been procured by Senator Adeseun from Osun State to be named as Chairman, while a former Commissioner in Ekiti State will be named as the secretary.
The 15 slot of members is to be shared at the ratio of nine members for the returning members led by Adeseun and Adelabu while the remaining six members would be shared between the Unity Forum, Ajimobi group, and the Senator Folarin group at the rate of two members per group.
Party faithful who spoke last night indicated that such imposition would be resisted. They queried why Ganduje from Kano State would be assigning party positions in the southwest without the directive of President Tinubu.
“We are all children of President Tinubu, and nobody can intimidate us in the party.
“What is certain is that we would work for the second term of President Tinubu in 2027, but all those who worked against the party in the governorship election in 2023 will receive their payback.
“We are waiting for them. If they hijack the party using dollars made from government appointments they will meet us at the election, “said one aggrieved leader.
“This is no longer about Folarin. It is about democracy and party loyalty. There is no way those who left the party for the Accord Party will use the money to hijack the party and expect us to support their candidate in 2027. It will not happen, “he said.
