Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA), a socio-political group committed to the enthronement of a development-minded governor of Oyo State, has criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC) executives in Oyo State for visiting the minister of power, Oloye Adebayo Adelabu, describing it as unfair to members of the party, who have had to endure the non-patronage by the President Bola Tinubu.
This was just as the group berated the State party chairman and other members of the executives for betraying the trust of partymen.
In a statement in Ibadan by its spokesman, Agboola Idris, PYA described the present crops of APC leaders in the state as money worshippers, and those who are not capable of mending the broken walls of the progressive fold in the pacesetter state.
It said that rather than shamelessly visiting someone who contributed to the loss of the party in the last election, it should have first invited major stakeholders within the party, including ex-deputy governors, former and serving lawmakers in the party as well gubernatorial aspirants to a meeting. By doing so, PYA said, APC would have laid the foundation for lasting peace that has eluded its ranks and files since the last polls.
“We are disturbed by the recent development within the progressive fold in Oyo State. We are heartbroken to see executive members of the APC visiting the candidate of Accord in the last election. We have no hate against the power minister, but the action of the APC Excos led by Alhaji Laide Abas was not motivating at all.
“If at all the APC is concerned about winning the next gubernatorial election in the state, it should search within itself what caused its defeat in the previous elections of 2019 and 2023. Oloye Adebayo Adelabu lost the election before the poll as he doesn’t have the managerial acumen needed to foster cooperation within the party. While addressing the state party Executives, he said the late former governor Abiola Ajimobi was responsible for his defeat in 2019. Was it Ajimobi the one who made him get less than 39,000 in 2023? Was it Ajimobi that made him lose his polling unit to Governor Seyi Makinde in 2019 and 2023 elections? Even Accord presidential candidate that didnt come to Oyo state to campaign had more votes than Oloye Adebayo Adelabu in the 2023 general election. Till now, he has not learnt anything. Everyone remembers how the late former governor Abiola Ajimobi paved the way for his emergence ahead of other aspirants who worked for years before the primaries that later became a coronation at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex. Oloye Adelabu’s lack of managerial acumen led to his loss of the party’s 2023 ticket to Sen. Teslim Folarin who had barely joined the party before the 2019 election. It is on record that Oloye Adelabu campaigned against Tinubu, who would later compensate him with a ministerial slot.
“When he extended invite to the state party Executives because he wanted to show them his new house which realtors valued around over four billion naira, they should have told him the bitter truth. The visit has further worsened his chance and that of the APC because this is someone who has been assisted into offices like Central Bank of Nigeria and ministerial but have nothing tangible to show except his big but badly-managed hospitality business which has even collapsed almost a decade after they were commissioned for use.
“What we think Oloye Adelabu should have done instead of flaunting wealth is to go round and beg party stakeholders for his roles in the loss of the 2023 election. The maladministration by the Seyi Makinde government was partly enabled by Adelabu’s action.
“In fact, the party should have asked how Oloye Adelabu has assisted the party and especially the youths in the two years he has used as minister. Even in his capacity as minister, how many youths has he assisted with jobs and appointments within his ministry and agencies under it? Even those very close to him aren’t better off. He waited and watched as party members suffered before now coming to flaunt wealth. If the APC doesn’t do anything to remedy the situation, the party may be out of office for another 10 years.
“The party should as a matter of urgency apologize for its misdeeds by taking responsibility, invite stakeholders to an all-important but uncensored stakeholders’ meeting where aggrieved individuals can vent their minds. All aspirants should be told to market themselves to delegates and party members and not wait for someone to impose them as candidates. By so doing, it won’t be difficult and long before wrangling that may arise in the congresses and primaries be laid to rest,” the statement concluded.
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