The Chairman
Alhaji Olayide Abass
All Progressive Congress
Ibadan, Oyo state.
On Behalf of All Executive
Dear Sir,
Ultimatum For Reforms: The Solution To APC Oyo State – A Neccesity For Party Survival, A Call For Urgent Action.
To the State Leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State,
We, the undersigned members and stakeholders of APC in Oyo State, known as the “APC ACTION GROUP-AAG,” are patriotic and founding members of APC from various geo-political zones of Oyo State (South, Central, and North). We are seriously concerned about resolving the APC crisis in the state towards a victorious election in the 2027 general election.
We humbly bring to your attention the unprecedented crisis and existential threat facing our party in the state, which has manifested since the 2019 general election. The death of Governor Senator Abiola Ajimobi and Governor Alao-Akala has exacerbated the situation.
We will shed light on the issues and problems of the party from its inception.
The political dispensation of the Fourth Republic started in 1999 after the military junta of Head of State, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, ended military rule in Nigeria. The Alliance for Democracy (AD) was formed along with other political parties, which was supposed to be a national political party in Nigeria. However, AD eventually became a regional party.
The socio-political organization Afenifere of Yorubaland eventually took over the political party, but Afenifere was later divided into factions. We can recall the creation of the Oodu’a Development Council (ODC) formation and inauguration in 2001 at Lagos State Airport Hotel, Ikeja, where it was noticed that AD and Afenifere had political problems that later materialized in the 2003 general election, subsequently leading to the factionalization of Afenifere.
In 1941, the Nigerian Youth Movement was formed in Ibadan to educate the elite, and in 1945, Egbe Omo Oduduwa was formed to forge unity among traditional and educated elites. Action Group (AG) was formed on March 21, 1951, in Ibadan to engage in the political space, all thanks to Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s leadership. But between 1954, 1959 and 1963/64 election, the manipulation of political players then lead to coup and civil war with individual players feature then, that also generationally feature now.
We need to learn from the narrative history and avoid repeating the same mistakes in this Fourth Republic. If not for President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who rewrote the history, Adelabu would have surfaced in the First Republic and this present Fourth Republic. If we compare the two incidents, we need to take high and great sacrifices into cognitive measure in our Oyo State APC political issues.
Thereafter, the Action Congress (AC) was formed, showing clear division in AD as a political party. Out of six states controlled by AD, only one state remained, and that state eventually became an AC state, which is Lagos. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) took the remaining states from AD.
We remember that the political leaders in Oyo, Ogun, and Osun states, namely Alhaji Lam Adesina, Chief Segun Osoba, and Chief Bisi Akande, were the first people of Afenifere among governors that submitted to Asiwaju before others, leading to this present political period.
In 2007, Professor Taoheed Adedoja contested under the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) as a political party, with Former Governor Lam Adesina as the leader of the party. However, AD was still in existence under the leadership of Chief Akinfenwa.
A lot happened between AD and ACN in the Southwest region from 1999 to 2007. If we say much about the situation then and now in the Southwest, it’s manipulation, slander, selfishness, and all sorts of things that happened between Yoruba political parties and Afenifere.
Now, in APC, it was a great wisdom of ACN players in Oyo State in the 2011 election between Former Governor Lam Adesina and Former Governor Abiola Ajimobi. The death of Alhaji Lam Adesina averted crisis in the formation of APC Oyo State. Both Great Lam and Ajimobi used great wisdom to manage the crisis of ACN before Lam’s death.
Lam Adesina’s camp manifested in APC, with Ajimobi’s camp and non-members of the two groups in APC, which Governor Ajimobi carefully managed until 2019. However, the same person, Governor Ajimobi, mismanaged the situation at the 2019 general election, leading to where we are today.
We need to ask ourselves or re-appraise in truth the course of this election misfortune of 2019 and 2023. There’s no need for manipulation, selfishness, and slander among our party leaders, elders, and stakeholders any longer.
The state party executives were formed and came about at the eve of the 2023 general election in 2022 and were seen to be one-sided through the help of the National Secretariat and the help of leaders and former party state executives.
The state executive and party primary electoral committee were believed to have influenced and compromised the 2023 party primary in favor of Senator Teslim Folarin, despite the contender’s opposition.
This was done because of the offensive nature of the party leaders and members in the state towards Chief Adebayo Adelabu’s altitude after the 2019 election. The climax of the situation now is that the same executive that seemed to work against Senator Teslim Folarin’s opposition then, especially Chief Adebayo Adelabu, acknowledged them and were now answerable to Chief Adebayo Adelabu as he became the Federal Minister of Nigeria after his nomination by the President.
The state leadership failed woefully in the affairs of the party at the bye-election and other activities of the party till date.
OUR CONCERNS FOR OUR APPROACH
The APC in Oyo State is facing a crisis of monumental proportions. The party’s leadership has been characterized by ineptitude, lack of vision, and internal squabbles. The current situation shows a failure in clear, non-articulate vision and strategy for the party’s growth and success in Oyo State.
We are determined to put the party straight in line for posterity and success in coming activities of the party for victory. The state executive must put into test of time and show to the party members that they can handle or improve the party for next levels.
The state executive will need to take our resolution and prayers of call to action into act to be displayed within now and November ending.
The APC Action Group-AAG has three objectives:
1. Cognitive objectives emphasize THINKING.
2. Affective objectives emphasize FEELING.
3. Psychomotor objectives emphasize ACTING.
Our aim is the overall long-term target or goal of controlling the Western region and cooperating with the progressives of other regions in Nigeria, while our objectives are short-term steps needed to meet overall aims.
CALL TO ACTION FOR WAY FORWARD BY STATE EXCO BETWEEN NOW AND NOVEMBER ENDING
Given the gravity of the situation, we request your acknowledgement and esteemed sacrifice of the state executive on the absolute way forward.
1. The current APC Oyo State Executive Committee should take a bold step, courage, and sacrifice to step aside for a caretaker committee to conduct next congresses in the state or take it upon themselves within now till the end of November to persuade the major two contenders in the 2023 party primary election, to consider dropping their interest in the 2027 general election as a sacrifice for the party.
The Elders used to say that individual that throws away the oracle will also be the one that will be used to gather it back, “E ni to da ifa nu, oun na laa Fi ko.”
2. The state executive should go through the incident of non-performance of the last bye-election in Ibadan North and come up with a white paper to deal with the issues and discipline those culpable in the failure to prevent future reoccurrence.
3. We shall like the state party executives to call the elected officials and appointees of the federal government to come together in unifying and committing to the progress and victory of the party.
THE NEW ORDER TO STABILITY
We believe that with your support, we can achieve this for the party in the state as an alternative nomenclature in the party organogram to follow as a structure for the party in the state. We are suggesting a three-layer structure aside from the party executives, namely Elders, Leaders, and Stakeholders for the party.
METHODOLOGY
Each local government needs to identify elders, leaders, and stakeholders in their local government. This will go to the ward level as well. We will have the same thing in three senatorial districts, and it should also be applicable to the state level. There should be five Elders, Leaders, and Stakeholders from the senatorial district that will automatically become the state leadership aside from the state executive.
ELDERS
Are those that have years of long experience with a record of impact in any political parties they might have belonged to in the past?
LEADERS
Are those that, one way or the other, make an impact of progress in the party and have means of financial support?
STAKEHOLDERS
Are those who have influence on grassroots mobilization and are also deep into party activities and issues in the party, with influence with elders and leaders?
The senatorial district, local government, and ward should have numbers of this approved structure. Whenever we achieve this, the Governor of the state will be the overall leader at all appointed times.
CONCLUSION
We believe that with this intervention, our party can be revitalized, and we can reclaim our position as the leading political party in Oyo State. We urge you to treat this matter with the urgency it deserves and take immediate action to