Osun APC youth protest alleged hijacking of forms ahead of ward congress

The youths who staged a peaceful protest to the party secretariat along Gbongan-Ibadan, Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo, on Friday, July 30, alleged that Oyetola and Famodun hijacked the nomination forms brought by some national officials of the APC.

According to the group, the national officials who arrived Osogbo a week ago, have been camped at a hotel under security surveillance and were barred from relating with other members of the party in the state.

This move, they say, would disenfranchise thousands of party members and aspirants from accessing forms in a free, fair and democratic manner.

The youths who protested under the aegis of Progressive Youth Movement, called on the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) to intervene in the matter and ensure that there is free and fair ward congress in the state.

Speaking at the Secretariat, one of the leaders of the group, Wale Alabi, said: “We are here to protest the electoral fraud being committed by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and the APC Caretaker Chairman, Prince Gboyega Famodun.

“The two leaders of the party are clearly dividing APC in the State of Osun. This is not the type of politics our fathers taught us, to have a governor that we produced in full loyalty to our leadership, circumvent democracy is simply sacrilege.

“Our party at the national level sent committee members led by one Abdullahi down to Osun since last week Saturday to begin sales of forms and prepare for the congress.

“But since they arrived, the committee members are nowhere to be found. They are neither at the state party secretariat nor at any other place carrying out their national duty.

“Thousands of our members have paid for the nomination forms to participate in the ward congress but were not given forms. No distribution happened at the state party secretariat, rather we heard forms are being distributed in the Government House.”

Addressing the protesters, Caretaker Secretary of APC in Osun, Hon. Rasak Salinsile urged them to be calm and continue to be peaceful in their agitation.

Salinsile confirmed that the nomination forms brought to the state by some officials of the APC at the national secretariat were hijacked by Oyetola and Famodun, saying that none of the officials came to the party secretariat to relate with other party members.

He also urged members of the party to go out on Saturday, July 31 and cast their votes for credible candidates in the ward congress.