The ongoing membership registration exercise of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) in Oke-Ogun area of Oyo state was disrupted, on
Thursday, as party members engaged in a free-for-all over substitution of
names.
Party members, who were present at the centre in Oke-Ogun, said
several persons were injured and had to be taken to the hospital for treatment.
A former council chairman in Oke-Ogun was also reportedly
stripped naked and beaten by members of a rival party faction.
A source, who preferred anonymity, alleged that loyalists of
the late Abiola Ajimobi, immediate past governor of Oyo, led by a former
commissioner, attempted to substitute names of committee members from other
camps within the party.
The committee members are expected to supervise the registration
exercise in all local government areas.
“The former commissioner, who now leads the Ajimobi faction
of the party (SENACO), removed names of members from Lam Adesina group, called
Lamists; the African Democratic Party group, and the Peoples Democratic Party
returnees and replaced it with names of members from the SENACO group,” the
source claimed.
“There is an agreement that stipulates that all factions
must be dissolved for the sake of oneness and unity of the party in the state.
But what the former commissioner did was against the agreement. There were APC
officials from Abuja, who came to supervise the process and ensure equal
representation. They witnessed the fracas.”
When contacted Olugbenga Fadeyi, the state police public
relations officer, for confirmation, he said the command has no knowledge of
such incident.
Efforts to reach Abdul-Azeez Olatunde, the Oyo APC director
of media and strategy, was not successful, but a prominent member of the party
in the state, who also preferred not to be named, said violence broke out when
some leaders from rival groups attempted to relegate Ajimobi loyalists to the
background.
“We cannot blame SENACO members for fighting for their
right. There will always be disagreement when you relegate other group members
from such important exercise. The SENACO group felt cheated. They also felt
that since Ajimobi died, other groups within the party have been looking down
on them,” the party member added.
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