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A youth group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, has set out some conditions under which those who left the party before the 2019 elections could return.
The group, Pacesetter Progressive Youth Forum (PPYF), in a statement signed by its coordinator, Comrade Dauda Saliu Ajana, posited that the actions of the estranged members contributed to the setbacks suffered by the APC in the March 9 governorship and State House of Assembly elections in the state.
Recall that during and shortly after the APC congresses and primaries n the state last year, aggrieved members, a good number of them under the umbrella of the Unity Forum, left to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) which later formed an alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to dislodge the APC in the March 9 elections.
There have, however, been reports that some of those aggrieved members, most of who lost out in the power equation in the ADC as well as the PDP-led alliance, were planning to return to the APC.
But the PPYF is advising the party to be cautious of those it readmits, stressing that returning members must be made to realise the damage their actions caused.
It stated that “in view of the calls for the Oyo APC to be strengthened with the return of some members who jumped ship in the wake of the last year Party Congresses as well as others from all strata of life, there is need for caution.
“Returning members should eschew bitterness and demonstrate sense of regret over their actions which almost relegated the party.”
has described the reported call for the dissolution of the APC’s executive committees in the state as a devilish plot to cause an unending crisis that will worsen the situation of the party in the state.
Reacting to last weeks call by another group, the APC Reformers, for the dissolution of party executive committees at all levels in the state as a panacea for reconciliation and return of estranged members, the PPYF stated that the call would do more damage to the party.
“Now that the chips are down, the current Akin Oke-led State Executive Committee, which holds a four-year mandate, remains the rallying point through which the dream of a rejuvenated and virile Oyo APC can be achieved,” it said, adding that “it would be out of place and immoral for anyone to sponsor or be part of any act capable of finally bringing the party to its knees at this crucial time.”
According to the PPYF, “the legendary role of Chief Oke in the quantum of peace and stability experienced in the defunct ACN and the APC till today will remain a reference point in the political history of the state. But for this Awoist of repute, discerning minds know that some undemocratic forces from within and outside the political turf would have destabilized the Progressive fold long ago.
“Apart from being a product of constitutional democracy and the rule of law, the current state Executive team is a stabilizing factor which is capable of turning things round for the party in post May 29, 2019 era which is expected to be quite challenging for obvious reasons.”
It however noted that “there may be genuine cause for readjustment in view of complaints non-representation by some local government areas but this can still be resolved through dialogue.”
The group also regretted the circumstances that led to loss the of the governorship seat to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing it as a temporary setback.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that Oyo State is too strategic to be left in the hands of the PDP in view of the opposition party’s antecedents but what happened in the March 9, 2019 Gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in the state has taught many political players some lessons which would not be forgotten in a hurry,” it said.
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