A group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, under the aegis of Concerned Leaders, has stated that imposition of candidate and poor decision are some of the reasons why the party lost yesterday’s by-election in Ibadan North Federal Constituency.
The group made the remarks via a statement signed by its Chairman, Tejumola Adisa.
The statement was made available to the media on Sunday in Ibadan, the state capital.
The group alleged that the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, imposed an unpopular candidate, Olatunji on other candidates, which majority of the APC members were not happy.
The group stated that the imposition of the candidate and poor decision made by the Minister was why the people rejected the APC candidate.
Adisa who spoke on behalf of the group further alleged that Adelabu gave the three major appointments allocated to the state to only members of the Accord party—the party where he contested gubernatorial election in 2023—at the detriment of other members of APC.
He said the Minister has caused a lot of damage to the APC in Oyo State. He stressed that the Minister will cause more damage if he is not removed from the office.
“The party failed woefully in the election as a result of the poor decision by the Minister to single handedly pick an unpopular candidate out of the more qualified and popular aspirants that bought forms on the platform of the party.
“The unilateral imposition of an unpopular candidate on the party for the election, arrogance, bad human relations and weird allotment of positions and government patronages by Chief Adelabu have destroyed the party in Oyo State.
“At the end of the day, Adelabu’s imposed candidate was roundly defeated in all the 12 wards, including his polling unit, where he struggled to win just six votes.
“If Adelabu is not removed now his acts may seriously harm the administration of President Tinubu, stating that the Minister had already brought harm to the APC in Oyo State,” the statement reads.
