Akinlabi Afolabi, Ibadan
The ancient towns of Saki and Okeho in Oke-Ogun zone of Oyo State were agog on Tuesday as the Oke-Ogun APC leaders, local party chairmen and other executives; former state and federal honourables, former political appointees, women and youth wings, and other party stakeholders received Senator Teslim Folarin.
The Oyo Central Senator, who was on a 4-day tour of Oyo, Ogbomoso and Oke-Ogun, had exclusive interactions with leaders and elders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Saki West, Saki East and ATISBO LGAs. Folarin’s second port of call was Okeho, where he met key APC leaders from Kajola and Iwajowa LGAs.
The three-term lawmaker while addressing mammoth crowds in Saki Parapo Hall and Okeho stated that he was not in Oke-Ogun to campaign but to preach peace, unity and harmony in APC ahead of the forthcoming party congresses.
“As a stakeholder in APC, I’m here in Oke-Ogun to meet with our leaders, elders and fellow members to charge us to remain united. It is painful that APC had a temporary setback in 2019 elections due to our avoidable crises. The forthcoming APC congresses in Oyo State must not be a do-or-die exercise and must not divide us again. We must learn from our past costly mistakes. There should not be winner-take-all at the ward, local and state congresses because all legacy parties have equal stake. Discrimination and winner-take-all tendency will definitely retrogress both the party and the ambitious individuals instead of progressing us. We’re progressives, therefore let’s progress in peace, unity and harmony in order to takeover from the misrule of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State.”
Notable leaders who welcomed Folarin into Kajola LGA included former TESCOM Chairman and one of the APC leaders in Oke-Ogun, Alhaji Abu Gbadamosi; Alhaji Salau Mojaji Alose (Overall Leader of APC in Kajola); Pa Adeleke Adesola (Leader of APC in Iseyin/Kajola/Itesiwaju/Iwajowa Federal Constituency); Pa Gbadegesin Ariori, Pa Jacob Olarenwaju JP; Alhaji Wahab Alarape; Hon. Hassan Adeniran (former Special Adviser to Otunba Alao Akala on Political Affairs); Hon. Isiaka Lekan Salami (former executive chairman, Kajola LGA); incumbent Chairman of APC in Kajola, Alhaji Isiaka Lekan Salami; two-term APC Chairman in Kajola, Hon. Muniru Elegbede.
Senator Folarin also had behind-closed meetings with former councillors forum (2003-2007) in 10 LGAs of Oke-Ogun and some aggrieved leaders of PDP as well as soon-to-defect executives and leaders of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Leaders of people with disabilities in APC Oke-Ogun were also in attendance.