By John Dike Osogbo
…Fault omission of state executive members, demandimmediate review
The internal crisis rocking the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken another turn, as four members of the party’s State Executive Committee have rejected the recently released list of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The aggrieved party officials accused those responsible for compiling the list of sidelining key members of the State Working Committee and disregarding established party guidelines in constituting the campaign structure.
In a joint statement, the officials, comprising the State Publicity Secretary, Wole Adunola; Welfare Officer, Deaconess Adesola Ayangbile; Assistant Organising Secretary, Rasheed Adeniji; and Ex-Officio member, Abiola Ololade, declared their rejection of the list in its present form.
They specifically faulted the exclusion of some members of the State Working Committee, who they argued should have been accommodated as statutory members of the council in line with the party’s guidelines.
According to them, the development raised questions about consultation, due process and respect for the established leadership structure of the party in Osun.
The officials also expressed concern over the relationship between the newly released list and an earlier presidential directive reportedly naming Governor Ademola Adeleke as Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council in the state.
They recalled that following the directive, Adeleke inaugurated a broad-based campaign team to coordinate activities towards Tinubu’s re-election across the state.
However, they questioned the emergence of another campaign structure without adequate clarification on how it relates to the existing arrangement.
The APC chieftains suggested that the newly released list might have been intended for a Parliamentary Campaign Council rather than the Presidential Campaign Council, urging the party leadership to clarify the matter to avoid confusion, duplication of responsibilities and further internal disagreements.
They maintained that the State Executive Committee remained a critical component of the party’s organisational structure and should not be excluded from decisions concerning a statewide campaign council.
Consequently, they called for an immediate review of the list through wider consultations involving relevant stakeholders, including the party’s National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, and the State Director-General.
Despite their objections, the officials reaffirmed their commitment to President Tinubu’s re-election bid, insisting that loyalty to the party should not prevent members from raising concerns over decisions capable of generating divisions.
“Our position is clear: we need a campaign council that respects party structures, recognises legitimate leadership, accommodates critical stakeholders, and unites all members towards electoral victory,” they stated.
They urged the party leadership at both the state and national levels to address the grievances without delay, stressing the importance of consultation, discipline, coordination and collective responsibility in achieving the party’s objectives.
