The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State says that it will come out better and stronger from the ongoing nationwide congresses of the party.
The party’s State Caretaker Chairman, Chief Akin Oke, made the remark after the executive council meeting, held on Sunday in Ibadan.
Newsmen report that the party commenced its congresses at the ward level on July 31, with the local government congress fixed for Sept. 4.
Oke, however, warned those he described as enemies of peace and progress to desist from peddling rumours of internal crisis or implosion within the party’s fold.
According to him, claims of in-fighting or crisis within the party are not true, as the build-ups to the 2023 elections have commenced.
“You cannot expect any serious player to fold his/her arms. The fact that people engage themselves in one party activity or the other should not create the impression that they are fighting.
“Those carrying rumours of internal crisis or likely implosion are enemies of peace and progress who will soon be put to shame,” he said.
Oke noted that the people behind the rumours were those who found themselves in government accidentally and without any party structure.
“The same people and their sponsors know that APC has all it takes to dislodge them in 2023 and they’ve been jittery, especially now that the good people of Oyo State are supporting APC.
“People are tired of empty noise, violence, debt burden, fake contract awards, land grabbing and cluelessness, all of which are the features of the present PDP-led administration in the state.
“We are appealing to all APC faithful in the state to keep faith with the party and key into the peaceful democratic plans being worked out by the leadership for the congresses.
“We want to assure that no stakeholder will be short-changed, in line with the agreement reached at the Lafia Hotel meeting last month in the build-up to the ward congresses,” he said.
Oke further encouraged all stakeholders to work together toward producing consensus candidates for the local government executive committees across the 33 local government areas.
He said that the outgoing executive committee under his leadership had unanimously resolved that no individual or group would be encouraged to polarise the remaining congresses.
“We have agreed that major stakeholders would join hands and obtain nomination forms for all candidates expected to be brought forward after harmonisation by all stakeholders in the local government areas.
“We do not want individuals or partisan sponsors to start purchasing nomination forms so as not to cause confusion.
“We appeal to all privileged party leaders, faithful and supporters to donate their widow’s mites for this cause,” he said.
The APC chairman said that such donations should be paid directly into the bank account of Oyo APC from Aug. 23.
“We promise to make everything transparent, as all relevant details will be made public in due course. Personally, I assure all party members of fairness, equity and justice,” Oke said.
