Concerned Ifelodun Youths, Stakeholders Accused Sen. Ajadi Of Rigging APC NASS Primary

Being a text of speech delivered by concerned youth and stakeholders in Ifelodun Local Government of Kwara state, over the attempt to steal the mandate of APC House of Representatives Aspirants for Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun Federal constituency from Ifelodun Local Government, at a Press conference, this day, 20th October, 2018.

Cede House of Reps to Ifelodun Local Government or we boycott election

It is with a heavy heart but a strong sense of loyalty to our party, the APC that we are gathered today, to lay bare our displeasures to, and seek redress in the interest of our people and our party.

We understand that the All Progressive Congress prides itself as one that values equity and justice, we are believing in the party hierarchy to take cognizance of our protest and do justice to it in a way that justice would be seen to have been done.

It is worthy of note that of the seven (7) Aspirants that contested the Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun Federal Constituency, five (5) of which are from Ifelodun local government, namely: Chief Rex Olawoye, Barr. Lanre Falola, Gbenga Oyetola, Arch. Olu Abogunrin and Oladipo Ola Peters and the two others from Offa and Oyun local government, Hon. Saheed Popoola and Ismail. Tijani respectively, only those from Ifelodun local government has the highest number of votes in the conducted and concluded party primaries, winning Ifelodun and Offa local governments and came first runner up in Oyun local government.

Barr. Lanre Falola won convincingly with not less than 3,000 votes on the aggregate and thus satisfying the constitutional right to fly the party's flag for Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun Federal Constituency.

It is also worthy of note that Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun Federal Constituency is made up of three (3) local governments, however, cutting across two (2) major ethnic extractions, the Igbomina and Ibolo respectively. Hence, the basis for having two (2) districts in the Federal Constituency. While the Offa and Oyun local governments are of the Ibolo extraction, Ifelodun local government is of Igbomina extraction.

From the inception of democratic rule in Nigeria and consequently Kwara state in 1999, Igbomina extraction only enjoyed a tenure of the Federal Constituency, other Representative of the Constituency have been of the Ibolo extraction as against the principle of equity and fairness, even when the people of Igbomina extraction forms larger part of the constituency's population. Ifelodun local government alone has seventeen (17) wards with over seventy thousand (70,000) collected PVCs, while the two other local governments (Offs and Oyun) respectively has twenty three (23) wards, with less than twenty thousand collected PVCs combined.

It is thus worrisome, why despite our voting strength, the political injustice is been melted on us for some selfish reason without ultimately considering the effect on the party's outing come 2019 by the perpetrators.

It is instructive to be aware that the major opposition party in the state, PDP in recognition and appreciation of our ethnic diversity and in consonance with the principle of equity and fairness ceded the Senatorial ticket to Ifelodun (Igbomina extraction), while the House of Representative ticket was retained in Offa local government (Ibolo), while the current manipulated arrangements in our great party, APC has both Senate and House of Representative tickets all within Ibolo extraction.

We feel strongly that the distribution lacks the ingredients of fairness and equity at the detriment of the Igbominas. Hence, again, on the ground of equity and fairness, this injustice cannot stand.

It should be safe to be cautious however, and appreciate the fact that the above analyses are not borne out of hatred for the people of Ibolo extraction as we are brothers, but reflecting on our political landscape and its peculiarities, to ensure we do the right calculations in pursuance of victory for our great party, APC and our dear state, Kwara, come 2019.

Thirdly, it is unfortunate that the injustice against our own people started with one of us, in person of Sen. Suleiman Makanjuola Ajadi, a Senatorial Aspirant from Ifelodun local government, who felt the aspiration of House of Representative Aspirants from same local government with him poses a threat to his Senatorial ambition, and therefore making desperate efforts to stop them all.

We can tell you authoritatively that virtually all results of the primaries submitted to the National Working Committee (NWC) are doctored and did not reflect the interest of party faithful at the grassroot.

This was possible because collation officers were hoarded in Sen. Ajadi's residence, where results were only written to suit his personal interest and principally, against the House of Representative Aspirants to clear the coast for his Senatorial ambition.

We feel seriously cheated and it is our hope that the party hierarchies redeem our stolen mandate.

It should be on record that, of the seven (7) aspirants that contested the House of Representatives under the auspice of our great party, it is only an Ifelodun son that has significant number of votes within and outside his local government, signifying our general acceptability by our constituents, while the elections reflects the historic feud between the two (2) Ibolo communities (Offa and Oyun).

No Offa man will vote an Erin Ile man and vice versa, this was demonstrated in 2015 when an Erin Ile son was fielded for House of Representatives under the then PDP and ended up in failure. The same thing is about to repeat itself if we can't remedy the political imbalance created by the ill-conducted party primaries.

It is consequent upon the aforestated background that we have unanimously demand the well deserved victory of Ifelodun is affirmed, regardless of whom we feel is most suitable to represent us and that the declaration of an Ifelodun son, having scored the highest number of votes in the Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun Federal Constituency during the Kwara state APC primaries be made.

Additionally, on the ground that our party is about leaving a national representation vacuum in Ifelodun local government being the second largest in Kwara state and any attempt to support this will amount to doing our people a disservice.

We therefore conclude that should our party, the All Progressive Congress chose to ignore our agitation, or fail to give the mandate to the winner of the Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun Federal Constituency primaries, it would be seen as making deliberate attempt to absolutely stripe us of national representation. We will, enmass, effect a 'stay-at-home' during the 2019 National Assembly elections,  understanding we have no interest voting any representative to both upper and lower chambers as the selection process was  tailored to work against us.

Thanks in anticipation of your swift response, as we pledge to remain committed more than ever to the Kwara liberation struggle and the Change agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) and the APC.

Sincerely yours,

Hon. Ebun Oyeleye

For: Concerned Ifelodun Youth and stakeholders