. Why Governor Ajimobi excluded pioneer members
Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi yesterday pleaded with aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to embrace peace.
Two factions clashed yesterday at the state secretariat in Ibadan over the purported list of council and Local Government Development Areas (LCDAs) caretaker chairmen sent to the House of Assembly.
A faction of the aggrieved APC members said the governor excluded pioneer members from the late Lam Adesina’s camp. It alleged that the governor did so to hijack the party machinery ahead of the 2019 elections.
Hundreds of party members from the 10 council areas of Oke-Ogun and some council areas in Ibadan stormed the secretariat as early as 10.30am with placards.
The governor’s supporters also stormed the secretariat, which led to a clash. Sticks and canes were freely used in the fight within the secretariat as members of both factions chased themselves.
One of the leaders of the party in Oke-Ogun, Mr Aliu Balogun, alleged that members, who were travelling to Ibadan, were ambushed by the other faction on the outskirts of Ibadan, where a fight was also said to have broken out.
The party chairman in Saki-West area of Oke-Ogun, Kareem Adebayo, said members in Oke-Ogun rejected the governor’s choice of leaders, alleging that the governor did not consult any leader before coming up with the names.
The governor’s Executive Assistant on Political Matters, Moronkola Thomas, who addressed the protesters on behalf of the governor, urged them to allow the House work on the list, adding that all parties would be represented.
According to him, “If you are supporting Ajimobi, you will not fight. Those selected now are to be there for a while because the council poll is still going to be conducted.”
