Niyi Akande, Osogbo.
Several key members of All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ifelodun, Boripe and Odo-Otin Local Government Areas of Osun state, are spoiling for a showdown with the state leadership of the party over the chioce of flagbearer for Ikirun Federal Constitutency for the 2019 general election.
APC members, it was learnt, were protesting, albeit quietly alleged imposition of Hon Rasheed Olalekan Afolabi as the party’s candidate for Ifelodun/Boripe/Odo-Otin Federal Constituency for the 2019 National Assembly election.
Governor Rauf Aregbesola and a former Secretary to State Government, Engr. Sola Akinwumi had on Saturday declared Afolabi as the APC’s House of Representatives candidate for Ifelodun/Boripe/Odo-Otin Federal Constituency.
Some of the House of Representatives aspirants at the Government House where Afolabi was declared, were; Alhaji Moshood Oluawo (MOSADEK), Architect Lekan Usman, Dr Michael Olugbile, Bello Adegboyega Basheer, and the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon Adelani Baderinwa, among others.
Shortly after the announcement, some former councilors and other supporters of MOSADEK, it was gathered, immediately rejected Afolabi’s candidature.
Also, members of the party in the three local government areas that formed the federal constituency, informed sources claimed also rejected the party’s decision, describing it as unfair and detrimental to it victory in the 2019 general election.
They alleged Afolabi of anti-party and disloyalty, alleging that he worked for the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the September 22, governorship election.
An anonymous source in the Federal Constitutency, who was a former chairman of Odo Otin local government area told Osun Daily that “members have been protesting the choice of Afolabi.
”You may not see them on the street yet, but soon, you will realise the protesters are really justified rejecting the chioce of Afolabi. We have resolved not support him. If APC wants to win IBO Federsl Constitutency, let the leadership of the party choice a better candidate for us.”
An APC member in Ikirun, Bello Adeleke, who spoke on behalf of a group of youth, called ‘ ‘IBO Young Democrats’ in a chat with Osun Daily, said the party may lose the House of Representatives election, if Afolabi is fielded, saying the state lawmaker is not popular in his Ikirun hometown, not to talk of his local government and his federal constituency.
Adeleke added that APC got it wrong by picking Afolabi against other loyal and committed party members, insisting that Afolabi’s choice was capable of destabilizing the ruling party in the area.
Commenting in similar vein, another APC member in Ikirun, Mr Rasak Marindoti stated that Afolabi has not been useful to the party, nor his community as the lawmaker representing Ifelodun Constituency at the Osun State House of Assembly.
Marindoti accused the party leadership of discouraging loyal and committed members, adding that the APC might lose the general election in the area, with Afolabi as its candidate.
Efforts to reach Mr. Afolabi Olalekan for comments proved futile as calls to his mobile line did not go through.
