A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Mr Akeem Agbaje, said on Sunday in Abuja that the party needed to ensure reconciliation of aggrieved members.
Agbaje placed third at the Oyo governorship primary election contested by six aspirants in May. The election produced Sen. Teslim Folarin as the party’s standard bearer.
He told Tracknews that genuine reconciliation was expedient for the APC to emerge victorious at the 2023 general elections.
“A factionalized APC will find it difficult to win any of the elections in Oyo State in 2023. Fortunately we have time to heal wounds.
“The national headquarters and the leadership in the Southwest can step in, bring everybody together, unite everybody genuinely and the party will regain power.
“The candidates in Oyo State, the executive members that emerged at the primaries should be sincere in the reconciliation moves,’’ Agbaje, a lawyer said.
He hinged the need for reconciliation on sharp practices at the governorship primary election, which he said were not in tandem with the progressive ideology of the party.
“Primary elections are conducted by the national headquarters of the party; if it did not initiate a credible process, it could not get a credible result.
“It should have ensured that most popular party members emerged at primary elections.
“The fact that APC is in opposition in Oyo State suggests that the party should be more transparent in the conduct of its primary elections,’’ he stressed.
According to Agbaje, reconciliation is important, but can only be effective if done sincerely.
“I am fully supportive of reconciliation but not deceptive reconciliation. The party must carry everybody along,’’ he advised.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for displaying a high sense of commitment to victory at the 2023 presidential election by ensuring that the most credible and most popular candidate emerged at the election.
Agbaje described the process that produced Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as APC’s presidential flag bearer as worthy to be adopted by the party in all subsequent internal elections.
