Oyo APC leaders vow to unseat Makinde in 2023

Members of Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) rose from a peace meeting in Ibadan, on Sunday, with a resolve to dislodge Governor Seyi Makinde come 2023.

The meeting held at Ibadan residence of Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State was to consolidate upon the agreement for peace and unity reached when the party’s national reconciliation committee met with the Unity Forum and SENACO groups of the Oyo APC in Abuja last week.

Speaking after Sunday’s meeting, Fayemi said all issues of disaffections raised by some members of the Oyo APC had been resolved with the party now boasting of a united front to take over the governorship of the state in the next election.

Encapsulating the resolution as, “No Victor, No Vanquished”, Fayemi said all who had some misgivings at the party had been brought on board and all moving strongly towards the 2023 goal of retaking Oyo State.

Fayemi also ruled out the existence of groups in the Oyo APC anymore, noting that party only had stakeholders who were working in the interest of progressive politics.

“The target is to win the state. Can there be any other target? The target is to remove my brother, Seyi Makinde. Seyi Makinde is my very good friend and brother.

“As you know I am Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum and I can’t campaign against a sitting governor but this is about my party and I have a national assignment.

“Oyo state members of our party have come together and they are not selling groundnut.

“There is no victor, no vanquished. All is settled, we are now a united front as a party moving strongly towards retaking Oyo state and working in the interest of progressive politics.

“I am not aware of any group in the Oyo APC. I am aware of stakeholders in our party, some who for one reason or the other are disaffected and felt that certain things ought to be done to bring everybody on board and that is what we have done and they are all here. Every segment of our party came to the meeting here today. All our members are important but the leaders are here and they are of one voice,” Fayemi said.

Former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala who stood beside Fayemi reinforced the “No Victor, No Vanquished” stance, adding that agreement had been reached for all to work with a united front for the 2023 election.

Others present at the meeting venue were Senators Teslim Folarin and Fatai Buhari; former Senators Soji Akanbi, Ayo Adeseun and Olufemi Lanlehin; Honourables Dokun Odebunmi and Akeem Adeyemi; Oyo APC governorship candidate in the 2019 election, Chief Adebayo Adelabu; aide to late governor Lam Adesina, Fatai Ibikunle.

The list of attendees also includes; Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Professor Adeolu Akande; former Minister of Communication, Bayo Shittu; Chairman, Oyo APC, Chief Akin Oke; governorship aspirants in the last election, Mr Joseph Tegbe and Mr Niyi Akintola, SAN; former Oyo deputy governor, Mr Moses Adeyemo; former state finance commissioners, Bimbo Adekanmbi and Zaccheaus Adelabu; Oyo state representative at Federal Character Commission, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela; leader of the sacked Chairmen, Mr Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye; and Secretary, Oyo APC, Mr Mojeed Olaoya. (Nigerian Tribune)