By Ismail Azeez
Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State on Thursday stormed the party’s state secretariat to demand the release of the authentic results of the State House of Assembly primaries.
The protesters, who staged a peaceful demonstration at the APC secretariat in Osogbo along the Gbongan-Ibadan road, accused some party leaders of manipulating the outcome of the primary election conducted for the Obokun State Constituency.
The demonstrators called on the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, and the Osun State Chairman of the APC, Tajudeen Lawal, to urgently intervene in the crisis and ensure that the authentic results of the State House of Assembly primary election are upheld.
Speaking during the protest, Oyewole Oyebamiji, the APC chairman in the Local Council Development Area (LCDA) comprising Wards 6 to 10, alleged that his zone had been cheated by certain leaders within the party.
According to him, Obokun has two zones, with Zone 1 comprising Wards 1 to 5, and Zone 2 consisting of Wards 6 to 10.
He alleged that one of the aspirants, Oluwagbemiga David Falope, popularly known as Faloo, won the primary election convincingly before the results were altered at the collation stage.
“The leadership previously agreed that if the council chairman comes from one zone, the House of Assembly slot should go to the other zone. That has been the arrangement for years,” Oyebamiji said.
“We submitted a letter to the party before the primary election to back up our position, but a day before the exercise, they told us they would no longer honor the arrangement.”
“The authentic result gave Faloo 2,594 votes, while the candidate they are trying to impose scored 2,020 votes. We reject this manipulation and call on party leaders in the state to intervene,” he added.
Also speaking, a chieftain of the party, Oketope Alibaba, accused party leaders of marginalizing Ilare and other communities in Zone 2 since 1999.
He stressed that most political appointments and elective positions in the local government have remained concentrated in Zone 1, particularly in Ibokun.
“For over 12 years, the positions of council chairman and House of Assembly member have remained in the same zone. That is unfair. We have supported the party and its leaders over the years, but now we are demanding fairness and equity,” Alibaba stated.