Former Governor Alao Akala-led Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC) Elders Advisory Committee has suffered another big blow as a potent group within the party, The Core Progressives, described the committee as an illegality which must be disbanded immediately for the party to consolidate on the gains recorded so far in its reconciliation and reengineering process.
The Group in a statement in Ibadan on Thursday declared that the advisory committee without any locus standi or any authority whatsoever to constitute any committee for the party was already usurping the powers of the Caretaker Committee of the party, a development, it said was inimical to the growth of APC in the state.
According to the statement signed by Alhaji Musibau Ahmed, Chairman of the group, the Core Progressives said the Alao Akala committee has so far remained a cog in the wheel of progress of the party and should therefore be disbanded forthwith by the Caretaker /Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the party for APC to have real progress in Oyo State.
The group stated that it has now been vindicated over its earlier rejection of the committee based on the lopsidedness in its composition which gave edge to old members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with known records of hijack and disruption of peaceful process, maintaining that the obviously biased zoning committee released by the committee has cleared all doubts over the intent of the Akala’s advisory committee to hijack the party for PDP.
The group commended the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Chief Sunday Dare for coming out boldly to reject the committee, stating that with the rejection, Chief Dare has further proved that he is a committed party man and a patriotic Nigerian who would always ensure that the right things are done in consonance with the constitution.
The Progressives urged the Minister as the representative of the National Leader of the party, President Muhammadu Buhari in Oyo State, to work closely with the Caretaker Chairman for the state, Chief Akin Oke and come up with the right strategy that would be acceptable to the majority of the members and put the party on strong footings in the state.
“We are highly impressed with the prompt and bold rejection of the Akala’s PDP infested Zoning Committee by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Chief Sunday Dare. By rejecting the committee, Chief Dare has shown courage, sincere commitment to the party and the ideals of the progressivism of inclusive politics. It is leadership per excellence. We only want him to remain steadfast and work with the caretaker Chairman and other genuine masses friendly leaders of the party and give us a strong and virile party that will clear all the elections in 2023. We are solidly behind these bold steps of the minister.”