Members of the Osun Progressives (TOP) have called on Governor Mai Mala Buni-led National Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to reject the outcome of the ward congresses held in the state in its entirety.
While describing the exercise as a sham, the APC faction narrated how Osun state government allegedly manipulated the exercise.
The group loyal to the Minister of Interior and former governor of Osun State in a statement signed by its coordinator, Adelowo Adebiyi, expressed sadness that the representatives of the National Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the APC “will descend so low to tell a bare faced lie in order to cover the illegality they called Ward Congress.”
The statement described the excercise supervised by Gbenga Elegbeleye-led committee deployed from the APC national secretariat as a sham.
The group claimed that that the Governor Gboyega Oyetola led Ilerioluwa faction of the APC compromised members of the Elegbeleye led Ward Congress Committee to do its bidding.
“Elegbeleye said that it was only those who obtained forms that were screened and had congress conducted for and we say it is a white lie which stands all logics on its head.
“May it please Elegbeleye to tell the whole world where, when and who conducted the screening for 35 persons in each of the 30 Local Governments and one Area Office?
“It will be necessary too for Elegbeleye to tell the world, how he managed to screen the number of contestants running to several thousands when his committee arrived Osogbo on Friday evening with the congress commencing in the morning of Saturday, July 31, 2021. What a liar!
“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 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 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.
“Elegbeleye did more damage to the fragile image of our party than he met it with his mischievous misconduct of the Saturday ward Congress and we note that it is not in the party’s interest that he has acted.”