By Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Stakeholders and leaders of the two factions within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, on Thursday, resolved to rectify the “faulty processes” that have left the party disunited in the state.
The leaders of the party set up a committee with a 48 hours mandate to revisit, amend the “faulty processes” and come up with a give and take kind of arrangement that satisfies all interests within the party and engenders a united front.
The resolution was reached during a stakeholders meeting summoned by Mrs Florence Ajimibi, the wife of the former governor of the state, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi, which was held at the Oluyole, Ibadan residence of the Ajimobi family.
Stakeholders present at the meeting include the state party chairman, Mr Isaac Omodewu; former deputy governor of the state, Chief Moses Adeyemo; Senator Ayo Adeseun; Dr Azeez Adeduntan; Chief Kunle Sanda; Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye; Mr Bolaji Repete; Mrs Hannah Ogunesan; Mr Hammed Adigun; Mr Olalekan Alli; Chief Akinade Fijabi
Others are Hon. Seyi Adisa; Hon. Isiaka Kazeem; Mr Idris Adeoye; Hon. Saheed Fijabi; Mr Wasiu Dauda; Mr Shina Alabi; Hon. Kehinde Subair; Mrs Omolola Adekunbi; Mrs Mabel Willams; Mr Lekan Afuye and Mr Olugbenga Olayemi.
Speaking with journalists at the end of the meeting that lasted over two hours, Sen. Adeseun said the committee will look into all issues that put the party into a state of quagmire.
He said the state chapter was keying into similar moves by the party at the national level to ensure that members of the APC work together towards the ultimate aim of winning the 2023 governorship election in the state.
“There are problems. The process that was very faulty ab initio will be revisited and we will try to make amendments as necessary to ensure that we can, in a united manner, focus on the challenge at hand.
“The challenges are still there so we will set up a committee that will go in, delve into all the issues that are at hand and then we will resolve and come back as a unified party,” Adeseun said.
Asked about the particular issues that the committee will look into, he said: “We will look into everything. All we are looking for is an arrangement where all of us can work together. With a give and take kind of arrangement, we will be able to do it.
“We will require the cooperation of every member of the party at all levels for us to succeed in our onerous objective of ensuring that come 2023, the Seyi Makinde administration will be put to an end.”
Speaking, the state chairman of the party, Omodewu, said he was optimistic that the committee set up by the party leaders will resolve all issues to favour the two major divides in the party.
With the APC rolling out its schedule of activities ahead of the 2023 election, the chairman noted that it had become expedient for the party to reconcile well in time so as to achieve the target of reclaiming the governorship seat in of the state.
“We are here to reconcile which is the best thing to do so that we are able to regain the government by 2023. We don’t have much time and I believe in a couple of days, things will be resolved.
“As the state chairman, I am in the middle but I want both sides to come together as one so that we can send away the present government out of office.
“The party leaders will carry out the task and it will favour everybody. The committee will look at how to resolve all the positions, elective positions. As the chairman, my mandate is to make sure we win the 2023 election,” Omodewu said.
The host of the meeting and former first lady of the state, Mrs Ajimobi, said she convened the meeting to foster peace and love among members of the APC.
She expressed optimism that within the next two days, all faulty processes will be rectified for the party to come together as one again.
Mrs Ajimobi, who noted that she is also an aggrieved party member, expressed joy over the attendance and resolution reached at the meeting.
“As we have agreed at the meeting, there are faulty processes. We are going to rectify and we are all going to come together, God helping us.
“Within two days, we will achieve what we want to achieve. Even though I am aggrieved too, I have swallowed my pride and I am here today and happy,” the former first lady said.
