The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Mai Bala Buni, has declared that the Chairman of the All Progressive Congress in Oyo State, Pa Akin Oke is the authentic leader of the opposition party in the state.
Governor Buni made this affirmation in Abuja, the nation’s capital last Thursday during a meeting with some stakeholders in the party from Oyo State.
The meeting of the stakeholders was to give clarity to who the leader of the party is in Oyo state.
The stakeholders, including Minister for Youth and Sports, Chief Sunday Dare, former Minister for Communications, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu,Senator Ayoade Adeseun and APC Gubernatorial Candidate in the 2019 election, Chief Adebayo Adelabu had met the party Chairman over the lingering disputes about the delegate to be used for the state congress.
Oyo APC had been engulfed in crisis over the congresses as different groups held separate congresses and there were claims and counter claims on which of the delegates would be used for the state congress.
It would be recalled that the national leadership of the party postponed the exercise in Oyo State over allegations that the process had been compromised. A new congress date was fixed for Wednesday but that was again postponed to Saturday which was again postponed indefinitely.
Stakeholders at the meeting agreed with the National Chairman that the leader of the party in the state, Pa Akin Oke should take charge of the affairs of the party and bring all the warring parties together.
“The National Chairman was categorical in his declaration that in any state where the party does not have a sitting governor, the Chairman of the party in the state is the leader of the party and he is expected to be the rallying point of all affairs of the party.
“In the specific instance of Oyo State, Governor Buni said the party had known Chief Oke for a long time as a father in the progressives party and they have absolute confidence in him to lead the party in Oyo State.
“At the end of the meeting in Abuja, Governor Buni postponed the congress by two weeks with admonition of the critical stakeholders in the party in Oyo State to resolve their differences and position the party for greater challenges”, they discussed.
Among those that attended the meeting include Hon. Gunju Adesakin, former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Abass Alesinloye, former Chairmwn of the Association of Local Government Chairmen, (ALGON). Chief Gbenga Olayemi and Alhaji Sarafadeen Alli, former Secretary to the Oyo State Government.