Bye-election tears Oyo AC apart

By Stephen Gbadmosi - 25.01.2008

THE Action Congress (AC) in Oyo State has again been put in disarray over the candidate to fly the party’s flag at tomorrow's bye-election into the state’s seat of Lagelu/Akinyele federal constituency in the House of Representatives.

Nigerian Tribune learnt that after the leadership of the party in the state had concluded plans to field Alhaji Hamidu Ajibade as its candidate in the election, certain forces within the national executive of the party had set machinery in motion to present another candidate.

The state secretariat of the party, in two separate letters written to its national secretariat and the Oyo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), lamented the turning down of the form initially given to it for Ajibade's use by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In the two letters which the Nigerian Tribune has seen, the party also alleged that the National Organising Secretary of the party, Mr. Godie Ikechi, allegedly in connivance with a former governor of the state, wrote the INEC to obtain another form for Alhaji Lanre Latinwo and asked the commission to drop Ajibade as the party’s candidate.

This is a strong indication that the Alhaji Lamidi Adesina-led faction of the party is ready to slug it out with the “Abuja forces.” The AC reminded its national secretariat and the INEC that it was the Chief S. A. Farinu-led executive that the commission had recognised since its formation in the state.