…Says Leaders, Stakeholders Unite On Decision
A member of the Federal House of Representatives representing Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Hon. Olafsoye Akinmoyede Wasiu on Saturday cleared the air on the insinuation that he was the brain behind the withdrawal of the Lagelu local government chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from participating in the forthcoming local government election, stressing that the decision was unanimously made by all the leaders and stakeholders in the council and communicated to the State Executive committee of the party.
Mega Icon Magazine recalled that the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) had earlier fixed April 27, 2024, for the conduct of the local government election, and the major opposition party, APC had announced its readiness to fully participate in the said election.
However, some members of the party had alleged that the federal lawmaker, Hon. Olafisoye Akinmoyede better known as ‘Lafi’, single-handedly prevailed on the leaders of the party from fielding candidates for either the chairman or councilors across the 14 wards in Lagelu Local government area.
Reacting to the allegation, Lafi stated that he has no power to control or influence any member from exercising his right to contest for any election, adding that the decision was made by the leaders at a stakeholders meeting held at the party Chairman’s house on Monday, August 7, 2023, to discuss on the subject matter and in the best interest of the members of the party who are yet to recover from the financial losses they suffered during the last general election in the State.
In his words, “On the forthcoming local government elections, all the APC leaders in Lagelu local government held a stakeholders meeting and after due consultation with members, they came to the painful conclusion that our party in Lagelu will not field candidates for the election on the ground that the local government election has always been winner takes it all affairs with the ruling party taking it all.
‘In our wisdom, we considered it unworthy to allow members to spend their hard-earned money and other resources in an election where it is evident that the ruling party will clear everything across the 33 local government areas in the State.
“We also took into consideration the losses of individuals and all party members at large in the recently concluded general elections who are yet to recover from their respective losses should they decide to commit another resource in another election which is to be conducted by an electoral umpire put in place by the ruling party in the state.
“In my contribution at the said meeting, I drew the attention of the leaders to the fact that winner takes it all affairs during the local government election is not peculiar to Oyo State alone as it has been practiced by state governors in all the 36 states of the federation that the ruling party in control of government will clear all the local government council election I also cited the example of 2018 when the APC led administration under the late Abiola Ajimobi conducted and cleared all the 68 local government areas including local council development areas and 620 councilors.
“For the above-stated reasons, the leaders, party executives, ward chairmen, and other critical stakeholders unanimously agreed not to participate in the election that the outcome is already known will be won 100 percent by the ruling party no matter the efforts committed to it by the opposition parties.
“I now wonder why such a decision is being attributed to me alone, but I consider it as the handiwork of my traducers who are hell-bent on tarnishing my image for reasons best known to them”, the lawmaker submitted.
