TRACKING>>A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State, Prince Bayo Ogunmeno, has appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to intervene in a crisis brewing up in the party in Remo Federal Constituency, Sagamu. He said that the crisis was between the party Chairman, Muri Awolaja and Chairman, Transition Committee in Sagamu Local Government, Gbenga Baruwa.
Addressing reporters yesterday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Ogunmeno, a lawyer, implored the governor to make up a balance in his appointment given to Sagamu that comprises Constituency 1, Ofin with 10 wards and Constituency 2, Makun with five wards.
He alleged that despite that Constituency 1, Ofin comprised 10 wards; the appointment allotted to Sagamu Local Government went to Constituency 2, Makun with five wards.
Ogunmeno said the problem started when Governor Abiodun appointed Gbenga Baruwa as the Chairman, Transition Committee, Sagamu Local Government.
He alleged that a few days after he assumed office, Baruwa and his godfather started planning how to remove Awolaja as the party chairman, having the notion that the chairman was not on his side.
Ogunmeno said it was a surprise that within four days of assumption of office by Baruwa, he closed down the party secretariat in Sagamu Local Government when the governor was out of the country.
The lawyer said now that Governor Abiodun is around, “I have no option but to call for his intervention to resolve the issue before it goes beyond control.”
He noted that it would be suicidal for the APC in the zone to lose members and followers to another party, knowing that the votes in the area are one of those that determine who emerges the governor.
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Ogunmeno said: “Ofin is one of the determinants of who wins the election in the state. Most other areas always share the votes, while bulk votes usually come from Ofin. But despite this, Ofin always loses out when it comes to political appointment.
“A commissioner and special advisers came from Constituency 2, while Constituency 1, Ofin is left with nothing.
“This issue of appointment has divided the party chairman and chairman Transition Committee, hence the need for the governor to intervene in the crisis in time, because continuous face-off between the duo may affect the APC in future elections in the local government, federal constituency and the state as a whole.”
He appealed to APC members in Sagamu to be calm till the governor intervenes in the matter.
