The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has appointed a former Senator, Olufemi Lanlehin, as chairman of its 24-man reconciliation committee.
Lanlehin represented Oyo South Senatorial district between 2011 and 2015.
The committee, according to Oyo APC chairman Isaac Omodewu, would help settle all grievances that arose from the party congresses and primaries and foster unity ahead of the 2023 general election.
The secretary of the committee is Alhaji Tajudeen Olanite.
Other members of the committee are Dr. Ameed Ayinde, Lasun Adebunmi, Gbadamosi Abu Adejare, Timothy Jolaoso, Oladayo Lawal, Badmos Bukola, Sunday Ajadi, S. O. Olaoye, Balogun Gaphar Oyetola and Funke Olayanju
Adewale Adepoju, Kakako Ayinla, Ramon Sadiq, Olorode Oluade, Kunle Folarin, Akande Abass, Kareem Adebayo, Dr Adepeju Esan, Tunde Ajibola, Remi Olalekan, Oke Kolawole and Hafeez Omobolaji Repete are also members of the committee.
Omodewu, while inaugurating the committee at the party Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, urged party members to cooperate with the committee for an amicable resolution of the crisis rocking the party.
”You are elderly and critical stakeholders of our party. We cannot give you terms of reference. All we want from you is to use your experiences and influences to resolve all internal wrangling within APC. Reconciliation is an ongoing process.
“Therefore, we will be expecting the first situation report in two weeks. There are issues from congresses and primaries. Please resolve all the differences”, he said.
Meanwhile, a group within the party, the Progressives Front, warned that the crisis could adversely affect the party’s fortunes in the state if the problem was not quickly nipped in the bud.
It gave the warning in a statement by its State Coordinator, Tunde Oladosu, in reaction to the spate of defections in the party in the aftermath of the party primaries.
Oladosu said: “Many are leaving the party in droves. The structures are collapsing; those who are supposed to work for the party have moved to alternate parties, not because of anything but because they felt cheated.
“Those who have not left have vowed to work against the party from within. This is exactly what happened in the 2019 general elections that led to the loss of the governorship and even the presidential elections to the opposition”.
