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By Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has told the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state that aspirants are not responsible for delegates welfare but the party.
Recall that the PDP had in a recent statement mocked the APC, saying the party had no money to pay the delegates that participated in the party’a governorship primaries.
But a statement issued on Wednesday by Alhaji Tajudeen Olanite, the state secretary of Oyo APC, said the party owns the delegates and not the aspirants.
He said the party has reached out to the delegates that participated in the exercise.
The statement read: “Our attention has been drawn to a campaign of calumny against Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin, the 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State that he has not paid party delegates that participated in the governorship primary election held on Friday, 27th May, 2022.
“Oyo APC is aware that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and its agents are behind the campaign of calumny.
“Oyo State APC is clarifying that primary elections are party affairs. The party owns the delegates, not aspirants. Therefore, it is the sole responsibility of the party to take care of the logistics involved.
“The castigation of our 2023 governorship candidate by the PDP and its agents is part of the perfected plots to demarket him ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“The fact that it is the PDP and its agents that are promoting news of non-payment of party delegates shows that neither APC aspirants nor the eventual winners engaged in vote-buying.
“With regard to transportation and feeding allowances, the party’s committee-in-charge has reached out to the delegates.”