IBADAN, OYO STATE — The 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Teslim Folarin, former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and other aggrieved party aspirants on Wednesday stayed away from a reconciliation meeting convened by the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, in Ibadan.

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Also absent from the meeting were governorship aspirants Akeem Agbaje, Hakeem Alao, and former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Rauf Olaniyan. The meeting was held with members of the Oyo State APC reconciliation committee as the party intensifies efforts to resolve internal disagreements ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Yilwatda described the disagreements within the Oyo APC as an internal family matter, insisting that the party remained stable and capable of resolving its differences through dialogue.

“The APC is a family. Whatever is happening in the party is a family issue. It is normal for members of the same family to have challenges, but we are happy that the issues are being addressed as a family,” he said.

The APC national chairman said the party leadership would continue engaging aggrieved members, addressing their complaints and rebuilding confidence among stakeholders in the state.

APC Yet to Take Position on Osun Election

Yilwatda also spoke on the outcome of the recently concluded Osun State governorship election, saying the APC had not yet adopted an official position on the result.

According to him, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) would meet with the APC candidate and other stakeholders to review the election before taking a formal position.

“We have not sat down as a party to take a position. A position as a party will involve the National Working Committee inviting candidates and taking a review of what happened in Osun State,” Yilwatda stated.

He described the Osun election as an opportunity for the APC to identify its weaknesses and improve ahead of future elections, while urging members to demonstrate political maturity and sportsmanship.

Reconciliation Committee Says Progress Being Made

The Chairman of the Oyo APC reconciliation committee, Femi Lanlehin, said the committee had made progress in its efforts to resolve grievances arising from the party’s governorship primary.

Lanlehin disclosed that the committee had met with some of the aggrieved aspirants and submitted its findings to the national chairman for further action.

“The party is making headway in its efforts to reconcile the aggrieved members before the conduct of the 2027 elections,” he said.

He explained that the grievances emerged after the party’s recent primary election, with some aspirants expressing dissatisfaction with the outcome.

“We just came out of the primaries, and some people are not happy with the outcome. They expressed their disappointment. They were aggrieved. We have presented our findings to the national chairman of our party to act on it,” Lanlehin said.

The reconciliation committee chairman expressed confidence that the party would resolve its internal differences and emerge stronger before the 2027 elections.

“We cannot afford to lose the 2027 election to any opposition parties in Oyo State. I am assuring you that we will win all the elective positions at all levels in 2027 in Oyo State,” he declared.

The absence of some prominent aggrieved aspirants, however, underscores the challenge facing the APC as it attempts to unite its members and position itself for a stronger challenge in Oyo State ahead of 2027.