The Caretaker Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has given stakeholders in Oyo State one week to produce a consensus list for the State Executive Committee.
The party took the decision yesterday after a three-hour meeting between the CECPC and stakeholders in Oyo State APC chapter at its national secretariat in Abuja.
The party’s state congress was postponed twice by the CECPC, following irreconcilable differences over the delegates’ list.
But a congress held on October 30, which produced Isaac Omodewu as the new State Chairman was opposed by some stakeholders in the state.
This development informed the summoning of a fence-mending meeting among the stakeholders at the instance of the party’s national leadership.
A statement by the Secretary of the party’s CECPC, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, reads: “In the aftermath of the October 30 APC State Congress in Oyo State, the leadership of the party met with stakeholders from the state chapter on Thursday, November 4, 2021, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
“The National Chairman of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), (Yobe State) Governor Mai Mala Buni, represented by the CECPC National Secretary, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, listened to all issues and contentions raised by party stakeholders in the Oyo State chapter, particularly on the recently-conducted state congress.
“The Oyo State APC stakeholders were directed to go back and collectively agree on modalities for the state congress and report back to the CECPC within one week for the CECPC’s consideration and decision which will be in the overall interest of the party, particularly in the state.”
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Addressing reporters after the meeting, former Communications Minister Adebayo Shittu said the meeting agreed that all stakeholders should return home and harmonise the state congress list based on the zoning formula agreed upon by the stakeholders.
Also commenting on the outcome of the meeting, the member representing Oluyole Federal Constituency of Oyo State, Tolulope Akande Fadipe, said the meeting agreed that October 30 was held in error.
She said: “The congress of October 30 is nonexistent. It never happened. Going forward, we are going back home with the list that has been agreed here today for our zonal leaders and elders to look at it, sign up, verify, make changes, where necessary, and it will be returned to the party at national by our Baba Akin Oke, the current State Chairman and leader of APC, Oyo State.”
When asked if the October 30 state congress was upheld by the CECPC, another APC stalwart in the state, Senator Ayo Adeseun, said: “That congress is canceled already. But let me also say this: if we tell you that all of these gladiators and juggernauts in politics from the state are saying one thing: no party dares say they want to go ahead.”
Also, four members of the APC State Congress in Oyo State yesterday dissociated themselves from the purported congress held at the weekend.
They said the congress did not meet the guidelines set by the party’s CECPC leadership, led by Governor Buni.
The panel members – Diran Iyantan, Ralph Igbokwe, Olarewaju Edun and Abdullahi Kontagora – urged the national leadership of the ruling party to correct the anomaly of what they called the Congress of Exclusion to avoid causing future electoral misfortune.
The four chieftains said in a statement that they were not part of the congress as stipulated by the guidelines.