SOME members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State have accused the leadership of the party in the state of hijacking the mandate freely and willingly given to the erstwhile lawmaker, Hon Oyeniran Oyeniyi Akande by the delegates during the party primaries.
Hon Oyeniran, who represented Oluyole State Constituency was a member of the 7th Oyo State House of Assembly, and also the Majority Leader of the House. The irate party members who confided in Mega Icon Magazine said, “he was very nice and accommodating and did everything he could to support the party, (APC) and Governor Abiola Ajimobi led government”.
Mega Icon Magazine exclusively gathered that during the build up to the 2015 general elections, the former majority leader signified his interest to recontest like his colleagues in the APC for the state assembly election by obtaining both the expression of interest form and nomination form.
He was neither told nor persuaded by anybody to step down or not to re-contest for the election. On the 6th December, 2014, he contested for the primary election alongside other four aspirants. The ex-lawmaker, Oyeniran defeated other four aspirants by polling 138 votes.
His second runner up and the present occupant of the seat, Hon. Muideen Abiodun Wahab popularly addressed as ‘Deen Abbey’ scored 116 votes. Having scored the highest number of lawful votes in the said primary election, Oyeniran was returned as the candidate of the party.
However, our further checks revealed that his victory in the said election was upturned by some leaders in the local government in connivance with some State executives. His ticket was hijacked and given to his runner up, Mr Muideen Abiodun who got 116 votes in the party primaries. Their reason was that Hon. Oyeniran is too old and there is likelihood that he would be defeated during the House of Assembly election slated for 11th April, 2015.
Not satisfied with the injustice done to him, the ex-lawmaker headed to the High Court of Justice, Ibadan to reclaim his stolen mandate.
Interestingly, the case he instituted in suit no: I/17/2015 against Hon. Muideen Wahab Abiodun, the APC Oyo State and the INEC has not been fixed for hearing and it has been adjourned for more than twenty (20) times till now.
This is the case wherein the mandate being claimed by the plaintiff, Hon. Oyeniran will last for four years and two years has already gone without any tentative date when the hearing would commence.
In a related development, Mr. Olujide Adewale, former Commissioner for Environment and Habitat in Oyo State also suffered the same fate. He polled 129 votes during the party primary for the House of Representatives election to defeat his closest rival, Hon. Sunbo Olugbemi who recorded 128 votes. His victory was also upturned by the party and was given to Olugbemi. He went to the Federal High Court, Ibadan to seek redress and his case is still pending before the court not yet heard.
It would be recalled that sometimes last year, the state executives of the APC issued a release that the party has expelled both Hon. Oyeniran Akande and Jide Adewale for anti party activities. Mega Icon Magazine learnt that the party took that steps having failed to pressurize the duo to withdraw the cases they instituted to reclaim their mandates.
Prior to the conduct of the party primaries, Mega Icon Magazine learnt that Hon. Oyeniran spent a huge amount of money and campaigned vigorously ahead of the election. Shortly after the election, he lost his daughter with her husband and their two children in a ghastly motor accident along Ogbomosho Oyo road.
