Ogun LG Poll: APC Members Accuse Governor Abiodun Of Imposing Candidates

 

The protesters

ABEOKUTA - Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Odogbolu Local Government Area of  Ogun State on Tuesday stormed the party secretariat in Abeokuta, alleging imposition of chairmanship candidate ahead of the July 24 Local Government elections in the state.

The aggrieved who gathered at the APC secretariat located at Iyana Mortuary in Abeokuta, particularly accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of upturning the resolutions of the party leaders on the choice of Hon Ola Olufunmilayo as a consensus candidate for the Council.

The protesters under the aegis of Movement for Progressives Change, Odogbolu Chapter, said Abiodun "imposed his choice candidate on the populace thereby setting the whole Odogbolu political atmosphere in a dire state of confusion."

They carried placards with various inscriptions to press home their grievances. Some of the inscriptions read "We Say No To Imposition," "No Internal Democracy In Ogun," "Governor Dapo Abiodun Respect Party Primaries," "President Buhari Ogun APC Is Disunited," "Ola Olufunmilayo Is Our Consensus Candidate," among others.

Addressing newsmen, the Spokesman of the group, Ogunbakin Olugbenga, noted that Governor Dapo Abiodun  had directed all leaders from  each LG to go streamline all aspirants vying for chairmanship into three, out of which one consensus candidate would emerge.

Olugbenga added that out of three aspirants, the party leaders in Odogbolu LG produced Olufunmilayo as a consensus candidate and forwarded the name for ratification by the governor and the state leaders of the party.

He said party stalwarts at the council were shocked that the decision of the  leaders in the LG have been upturned by Governor Abiodun.

The Spokesman said "Gov Dapo Abiodun  had directed and  summoned all leaders from each local government with directives to go and streamline all aspirants vying for the position to 3, after which the governor will use his discretion to choose the anointed from the three.

"The 3 successful aspirants from Odogbolu Local Government  was sent to the governor and all other LGs did same.

 "Further directive came from the governor again wherefore he summoned all the leaders to Abeokuta (Presidential Lodge) and told them he would not want to impose any candidate on any local govt, thereby telling them  to choose one out of the three submitted there and then, Odogbolu leaders were the first to come to a resolve through a voting process which produced Hon. Ola Olufunmilayo.

"The name was submitted to the governor and he made the pronouncement of Ola Olufunmilayo as the name submitted for the consensus candidate of Odogbolu local govt and he further asked if there was any dissenting voice(s) against the pick which none of the leaders  objected to.

"But to the shocking dismay of the entire party leadership of  Odogbolu local govt,the governor Prince Dapo Abiodun upturned the resolutions of the leaders without any genuine or reasonable reason and imposed his choice candidate on the populace thereby setting the whole Odogbolu political atmosphere in a dire state of confusion.

Olugbenga urged the national and zonal leadership of the party wade into the crisis.

He said "Will our national leadership fold its arms and allow this very obvious form of imposition and impunity by the Governor maim and kill the party in our dear Ogun State?  

"We are appealing to the party leadership at the national level and also the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our Southwest leaders and Ogun State as well to as a matter of urgency intervene in this matter and save our dear party, the APC from total collapse in Odogbolu local govt and Ogun state in general as 2023 is just around the corner."