Oyo 2023: APC may not field candidates in some constituencies, group warns

By AKEEM ABAS

The Progressives Front (TPF), a group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, has warned that the lingering crisis in the party would adversely affect the party’s fortunes.

The warning is contained in a press statement signed by its State Coordinator, Mr Tunde Oladosu, on Saturday in Ibadan.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the group was reacting to the spate of defections from the party due to alleged irregularities in the just-concluded primaries of the party.

The group warned that the lingering crisis needed to be quickly addressed to sustain the party’s fortunes.

According to Oladosu, information at the group’s disposal and confirmed by sources in INEC has revealed that primary election was not held in some federal and State constituencies,

“This is an indication that the APC will not feature candidates in the constituencies.”

It listed some of the federal constituencies where primaries were not held as Oluyole, Ibadan South-West/ North-West, Ibarapa North/Central and Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituencies, saying that the state constituencies are Ibarapa North/Central, Ibarapa East, Oyo East, Oluyole, Ogbomoso, Atisbo/Shaki East, Ona Ara, Iseyin/Itesiwaju and Oorelope.

The group said that the situation portends grave danger to the party and efforts should be made to find a solution to it.

“The implication is that APC will not be featuring candidates in all these areas and if it does, it will be an exercise in futility.

“We should avoid what happened in Zamfara in the 2019 general elections where INEC disqualified all APC candidates because they failed to conduct primaries within the INEC stipulated time frame,” it said.

It said that all is not well within the APC family because of the hijack of the party structure by a minority.

“Many are leaving the party in droves. The structures are collapsing. Those who are supposed to work for the party have moved to other parties.

“This is not because of anything but because they felt cheated. Those who have not left have vowed to work against the party from within.

“This is exactly what happened in the 2019 general elections that led to the loss of the governorship and even the presidential elections to the opposition,” the group said. (NAN)