Members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ifelodun, Boripe and Odo-Otin Local Governments of Osun state are currently at loggerheads with the State governor and other party hierarchy over alleged imposition of Hon Rasheed Olalekan Afolabi as the party’s candidate for Ifelodun/Boripe/Odo-Otin Federal Constituency for the 2019 National Assembly election.
Governor Rauf Aregbesola and a former Secretary to the State Government, Engr. Sola Akinwumi had on Saturday declared Afolabi as the APC’s House of Representatives candidate for Ifelodun/Boripe/Odo-Otin Federal Constituency.
Some of the House of Representatives aspirants at the Government House where Afolabi was declared were Alhaji Moshood Oluawo (MUSADEK), Architect Lekan Usman, Dr Michael Olugbile, Bello Adegboyega Basheer, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon Adelani Baderinwa, among others.
Some former councilors and other supporters of MUSADEK immediately kicked against Afolabi’s candidature at the Government House.
Also, members of the party in the three local governments that formed the federal constituency have rejected the party’s decision, describing it as unfair and detrimental to its victory in the 2019 general election.
They alleged Afolabi of anti-party and disloyalty, alleging that he worked for the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the September 22, governorship election.
One of the party’s members in Ikirun, Bello Adeleke said APC would lose the House of representative election if it fielded Afolabi, saying that he is not popular in his ward, not to talk of his local government and his federal constituency.
Adeleke said APC got it wrong be chosen Afolabi against loyal and committed party members, saying that what the leadership of the party did is capable of destabilizing the party.
Another APC member in Ikirun, Mr Rasak Marindoti stated that Afolabi has not been useful to the party, nor his community as the lawmaker representing Ifelodun Constituency at the Osun State House of Assembly.
Marindoti accused the party leadership of discouraging loyal and committed members of the party, adding that the APC might lose the general election with Afolabi as candidate.
Afolabi’s candidature is causing disquiet and rancour in the APC in Ifelodun/Boripe/Odo-Otin Federal Constituency.
