Debo Adeoye, Ibadan.
The crisis rocking the Oyo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took another dimension at the weekend when some stalwarts of the party were excused from a peace meeting presided over by a former Governor of the state, Chief Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala.
A 16-Man Reconciliation Committee inaugurated by the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi to reconcile aggrieved members of the party was on Saturday invited some members to peace meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State Capital.
The Chairman of the committee, Chief Alao Akala and Secretary, Prince Gbade Lana
in a bid to reconcile the aggrieved members at the weekend called a peace meeting to settle all the crisis in the party.
Our correspondent however learnt that some strong stakeholders among who were both the former and current Ministers, commissioners, lawmakers and other stalwarts of the party were either not invited or shunned the meeting presided over by Alao-Akala on Saturday.
Those who distanced themselves from Alao-Akala peace meeting included; Minister for Youth and Sport, Mr. Sunday Dare, immediate past Deputy Governor, Moses Alake-Adeyemo, immediate past Minister of communications, Barr. Adebayo Shittu and a former Chief of Staff to late Ajimobi, Professor Adeolu Akande.
Others are; former Deputy Governor to former Governor Lamidi Adesina, Barrister Iyiola Oladokun, Hon. Yunus Akintunde, Fatai Ibikunle, Bayo Adewusi, Sen. Adesoji Akanbi, Sen. Ayo Adeseun.
Also on the list are, Asiwaju Rotimi Ajanaku, Hon. Dapo Lam-Adesina, Abiodun Olasupo, Hon. Taiwo Michael Akintola, Hon. Sunbo Olugbemi, Hon. Sunday Adepoju, Akeem Agbaje, Ayodeji Kareem, Isiaka Alimi, Ajiboye Omodewu, Goke Oyetunji and other prominet members of the party.
Speaking through his media aide, Adebowale Adeoye in Ibadan on Monday, Asiwaju Rotimi Ajanaku said that he was surprised a meeting was held on Saturday without extending invitation to all aggrieved members.
“Ajanaku was never invited to the meeting by the reconciliation committee. In fact he was surprised that the reconciliation committee could sidelined him and other stalwarts of the party. The only APC meeting he was invited to was the one called by the Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare on Friday.
“Dare said that the meeting was called towards strengthen our party in Oyo state. But, unfortunately after contacting some stakeholders and he (Ajanaku) discovered that some strong stakeholders were not invited and it was not called by reconciliation committee, then he became sceptical and decided not to attend the Friday meeting.
“Eventually he was right not to have attended the Friday’s meeting having discovered that same minister was absent at the Saturday meeting called by the so called reconciliation committee. Ajanaku would have been seen as working against peace and reconciliation in the party.
“The absence of the key stakeholders at the meeting shown that APC is still in crisis. Why was Ajanaku ignored? Is it because of his bluntness, outspokenness or zero tolerance for impunity and unfairness. Asiwaju is ready for nothing but sincere and genuine reconciliation, not partial.
“As for Asiwaju Rotimi Ajanaku, he won’t stay in any party where peace, equity and fairness are not embraced. He is not a desperate politician. His interest is to serve his people by supporting laws and policies that would influence masses’ lives positively,” Adeoye stated.
In a similar development, one of the members who preferred not to be mentioned said that the so called Akala’s meeting was dominated by those who benefitted from the last party primaries impunity. He described some of them as parasites, who is living on its host without making any good commitment to the party.
“Imagine those who only live on the party, since the party loss the governorship election in the state, what have they contributed. Yet they were at the meeting blaming those who left the party due to series of unfairness and impunity suffered at the last party primaries.
“One would have expected the so called reconciliation Committee to caution them, do they have the ability to win election for the party? They are only waiting to be granted another undeserved opportunity to fly the flags of the party,” he concluded.
