The Osun Progressive (TOP) has called on the leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Nigerians at large to investigate last Saturday’s Ward Congress in Osun State.
According to the press statement issued by the TOP Chairman in the state, Adelowo Adebiyi and made available to our correspondent in Osogbo, “the Congress must be investigated mainly the Illegality being perpetrated by the Governor of the state and the Hon. Elegbeleye led Ward Congresses Committee”.
The state said, ” the press conference granted on Monday’s evening by Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye has exposed to a great extent how Governor Gboyega Oyetola led Ilerioluwa faction of the APC have compromised members of the Ward Congress Committee sent from the national secretariat of the party to conduct party Ward congress in the state last Saturday”
Elegbeleye during the press conference on Monday at the APC Secretariat in Osogbo said that it was only those that obtained forms that were screened and had congress conducted for while his committee also met some party leaders in the state.
“We urge the leadership of the Party to thoroughly investigate what transpired here in Osun from Monday 26th July till Saturday 31st.
“The Osun Progressives (TOP) rejects the white lie told by Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, the Chairman of the Ward Congress Committee sent from the APC National Secretariat, in the bid to cover the scam and sacrilege against democracy that they called congress last Saturday.
“Consensus without Agreement: Hon. Elegbeleye led Committee lied that they met stakeholders. We maintain that the Governor camped the Commitee in the Government House preventing them from ley stakeholders of the party. Our question is, how do you reach a consensus without engaging groups containing, The current Secretary of the Party, The former Chairman of the Party, the former Speaker of the State and many more.
“Screening of Applicant 8,000 nominees on 2 hours: Hon Elegbeleye led Committee lied that they screened participants. We have it on record and with proof that the committee arrived Osun around 6pm on Friday evening. *When and how could they have physically screened over 8000 applicants.
“Hon. Elegbeleye will do well to tell the whole world and produce the list of those who supervised the Congress in each of the 332 wards other than the Governor’s group, IleriOluwa who were harassing and intimidating hapless party members in most wards where elections were held.
“It is intriguing that Elegbeleye supervised a sensitive assignment like the holding of Ward Congress without seeing or talking to the State Party Secretary who is the custodian of party documents and claimed that he had a successful assignment.
“It is surprising that Elegbeleye who on arrival in Osogbo met with only Governor Gboyega Oyetola and his loyalists inside the cosy atmosphere of the Government House and stayed the night in the 3-star Hotel in company of the infamous Senator Omisore and others would think rational human beings will listen to the scandalous lie he told at a structured press conference this evening.
“May we use this opportunity to tell the men of integrity running the party in Abuja to reject whatever fake report brought to them by Elegbeleye who obviously abandoned the assignment he was sent to do and colluded with Governor Oyetola and his group, IleriOluwa, probably on account of some lucre changing hands to do evil in the name conducting ward Congress.
“We have proof and record of the many Illegality the Governor has resorted to, in partnership with Hon Elegbeleye to deny thousands of grassroots politicians there right to pick their representatives.
“Osun is a Bastilmof Progressive Politics and our leaders left the Legacy of a united and winning Party. Governor Oyetola is diving and destroying that Legacy with great implications for the Party at the State and National level. We urge leadership to fairly intervene” the statement concluded.