Ogun APC Crisis: Local Council Chairmen Petition Oyegun

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State seems to be worsening as seven local government executives of the party have submitted a protest letter to the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, accusing the state Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, of side-lining key party members.

The party chairmen, who stormed the national secretariat of the APC yesterday armed with their petitions and some party supporters, alleged that the governor is behind the crisis in his bid to fence off other influential members who may want to aspire for the governorship of the state.

The seven APC local government chairmen, who said they represent 13 of their other colleagues, urged the party national leadership to halt what they described as “ignoble and illegal activities” of the governor.

Six of the chairmen who signed the petition included  Ladi Lekuti from (Ijebu Ode); Idowu Adetunji (Yewa South); Onaolapo Olawale, (Odeda) Muhammed Azeez (Ado Odo-Otta); Sunday Akinyemi (Yewa North); Emmanuel Oguntade (Ipokia) and Ayo Banjo (Odogbolu local government area).
According to the petitioners, since the 2015 general elections, “the party has not been holding meetings at all levels in the state viz state, senatorial, local government and at the ward levels.

“All party meetings have been replaced by briefings only from the governor. The state executive organ was and is still hardly financed by the APC-led administration in the state even with countless pleas from elders of the party.”

The aggrieved chairmen further alleged that the state executive organ of the party has become a mere appendage of the governor resulting in the division  and near paralyses of the party structure at all levels in the state.
Addressing journalists after submitting the petition, spokesman of the group, Mr. Ayo Banjo, alleged that the governor has now declared other influential members of the party persona non grata.

“Party members are not free to attend political functions with great party leaders in the state. Attending functions with these leaders are often met with the victimization of party members, harassment, illegal suspension and removal of party executives.

“The governor does all these with reckless abandon and without regard to the political convenience leading to the emergence of the party excos at all levels in the state which hitherto had guaranteed peace,” they submitted.
The local party executives said Amosun had ordered the withdrawal of  party buses from the local government executives, thereby crippling the activities of the party in the local areas.

“It is now difficult for people to defect to the APC instead, our members are being taken away and lured with gifts to other parties.
“We know the way things are going in the party, the fortunes of the party would be greatly affected in the state. Leaders of the party are perplexed but they cannot say anything. When they attend meetings with the governor, it is just to clap, nothing else,” they said.

Odigie-Oyegun has however promised to look into their complaints with a view to finding appropriate ways to mediate in the dispute.