The All Progressives Congress (APC) may lose the Oluyole Federal Constituency seat in the next general election if it fails to respect the choice of party members.
The House of Representatives aspirant, Hon. Gbolagade Abiodun, has warned amid growing protests by aggrieved loyalists over the outcome of the party’s primary election.
Speaking with journalists, Gbolagade cautioned the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and Oyo State leadership against imposing a candidate allegedly rejected by the majority of party members.
He maintained that leaders and stakeholders from the constituency have continuouslu appealed to the party executives to uphold what they described as the genuine mandate of delegates, stressing that Oluyole has remained an APC stronghold and should not be lost because of internal decisions that disregard the wishes of members.
The APC chieftain said the recent protest by party faithful was organised to draw the attention of the party’s leadership to their grievances. Hon Gbolagade said the Oyo State APC Chairman, Chief Adeyemo Alake, appealed for calm and assured protesters that their complaints would be considered.
Gbolagade alleged that suggestions of political appointments as compensation were rejected by the protesters, who insisted that they were not interested in appointments but in the restoration of what they described as their stolen mandate.
Party loyalists also declared that they would not support any candidate allegedly imposed on the constituency, particularly the lawmaker currently representing the constituency, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, whom they claimed no longer enjoys the confidence of grassroots members and has failed to adequately represent the party’s interests at the ward and local government levels.
They warned that if the party leadership failed to make their votes count in the disputed primary election, the APC risked losing the constituency to the opposition, insisting they would not campaign for or support any candidate they believed was imposed.
Gbolagade disclosed that officials of the APC National Working Committee had contacted him after reviewing aspects of the disputed primary election and assured him that the matter would receive due attention. He said he was never asked to step down for any aspirant and expressed confidence that the court would determine the dispute in accordance with the law.
Despite the legal battle, the APC aspirant dismissed rumours that he or his supporters were planning to defect to another political party. He reaffirmed their loyalty to the APC, saying they had already begun preparations for the general election while awaiting the court’s judgement.
He, however, maintained that lasting unity within the party could only be achieved through fairness and justice, warning that ignoring the choice of party members in Oluyole Federal Constituency can ultimately hand victory to the opposition.
