In Oyo APC, there is an uneasy calm over the ‘controversial’ Congress

UNEASY calm has descended on the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State following the election of Isaac Omodewu as the party’s chairman at the party’s state congress on Saturday.

Some party members questioned the delegates’ list, calling for the congress to be suspended; Lawan Gambo, the chairman of the State Congress committee, was prevented from leaving his hotel, while Abdulahi Bello, the committee secretary, presided over the meeting, which began at about 4.30 p.m.

Despite the fact that some party members were unsuccessful in having the congress postponed yet again for further investigation of what they described as a falsified list, they noted that the posture of the party’s national leadership in the coming days would determine the party’s chances in the state’s next election.

In some quarters, the emergence of Omodewu is seen as having left wounds in some members that will be difficult to heal.

Some party members have also stated that they will take a “Siddon look” at whether the national secretariat considers one tree to be sufficient to form a forest, particularly in the 2023 election.

Read also: Rotimi Amaechi: In Rivers, Our 2019 Experience Won’t Happen Again

The delegates’ list brought by the Gambo committee was at odds with the consensus and harmonised ward and local government congresses lists arrived at in Ibadan before it was taken to Abuja, according to some party members.

They felt slighted that various stakeholders meetings held in Ibadan on the need for transparency amounted to a futile exercise, which they described as contrary to fairness, injustice, and equity.

If the status quo from the congress holds, the APC will enter the 2023 elections without a united front, according to a cross section of party members.

Despite reports that the new chairman, Omodewu, is planning to begin reconciliation efforts, some party members said they were too bruised to sit at the reconciliation table with the Omodewu-led excos.

In the midst of the debate over whether the delegates’ list was falsified or not, four members of the Oyo APC Congress Committee said they would not be attending the congress on Saturday. Due to security concerns, the chairman of the committee and the seventh member, Honourable Olanrewaju Edun, Mallam Abdullahi Kotangora, Mr Diran Iyantan, and Chief Ralph Igbokwe, were unable to attend the congress.

They said they only managed to get out of the apartment because of the controversy over the list’s authenticity and protesting APC members who blocked access to their hotel.

They were surprised that the congress took place, pointing out that the Secretary of the Committee, Abdulahi Bello, was on his own and lacked their authority to run the meeting.

They urged the APC’s headquarters to take steps to address the party’s schisms in order to avoid repeating the mistakes of the previous election.

Falsification of the delegates’ list, according to Gambo, is unfounded and baseless.

He stated that he only worked with the list provided to him by the APC’s national secretariat, and urged those who believe the list was tampered with to take their complaints to the party’s headquarters.

Read also: Ayu: PDP has returned to save Nigeria from its current quagmire

Because he was held hostage in his hotel for about 12 hours, Gambo said he mandated his secretary, Abdulahi Bello, to conduct the congress.

Because of the discord in his congress committee, he disowned the four people who claimed to be members of his committee and did not appoint the committee secretary to lead the meeting.

Gambo claimed that those four people were not on the list of committee members provided to him by the APC national secretariat, and that he worked with a total of six people.

“As far as I’m concerned, I’m not aware of any falsified list, and a falsified list has never existed,” Gambo said. The only authentic list the national secretariat gave me was the one I gave to the stakeholders.

“How could anyone falsify a list given to me by a national party led by Mai Mala Buni?” If anyone believes the list was falsified, they should file a complaint with the national secretariat; the claim that the list was falsified is unfounded and baseless.

“I completed my congress, whether I was physically present or not; the congress was completed and was successful.”

“I was held captive for 12 hours.” Over 2,000 people have barricaded my hotel, parked heavy buses on the road, and only a human, not a vehicle, can cross.

“Since the secretary was already on the convention grounds, I gave him the authority to preside over, which he did successfully.

“We were seven and four at the congress grounds with the secretary. Only myself and two others were not present, but I gave the secretary permission to proceed with the congress. Any member of the committee can be nominated to preside over the congress in a committee. Nothing is against the law.

“Did you notice any other chairmanship contenders at the congress venue besides one?” This indicates that agreement has been reached. Physically, the chairman appeared alone. If any other chairmanship candidate showed up in person, we would conduct a physical election among the delegates.

“The four individuals who claimed to be members of my committee are not members of my committee. I’m not familiar with them. They are not on the list of members of my committee sent to me by the National Secretariat.

“Everything was decided by consensus.” “Every single person was carried along by us.”