Crisis Rocks Ondo APC Over Poor Performance In Assembly Polls, Olubaka of Akoko land Dragged Into Crisis

It is not business as usual for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akoko Southwest and Akoko Southeast Local Governments of Ondo State. The palace of the Olubaka of Oka Akoko, Oba Yusuf Adebori Adeleye has also been dragged into the crisis as chieftains of the APC in the locality, blame political meetings held at the palace as the cause of the party’s failure at the assembly polls.

Akokoland, comprising four local government areas, is regarded as the stronghold of the APC in Ondo State. During the February 25 National Assembly and presidential elections, the APC secured the two House of Representatives seats in Akokoland and the senatorial seat in the constituency. Residents of Akokoland also voted massively for the party’s presidential candidate. The results of the House of Assembly election were however shocking, as the PDP won the three available seats in the area.

Candidates of the PDP — Afe Felix, Daodu Raymond and Abulu Akeem — won in Akoko Northwest II, Akoko Southwest 1 and Akoko Southwest II respectively. The PDP won four seats out of the 26 available seats in the Ondo State House of Assembly. It therefore became a blame game when leaders of the party in the area were queried as to what caused the party’s defeat in an election that ought to be an easy ride for the ruling party.

Furthermore, the party has been polarised in Akoko Southeast Local Government, as some chieftains of the party were suspended for alleged anti-party activities. In the council area, 30 APC chieftains were suspended for alleged anti-party activities. The affected persons were alleged to have undermined the party’s chances during the election by openly working for opposition political parties.

The suspension of the APC members was contained in a letter signed by the secretary of the local government, Segun Bakare, and addressed to the party’s chairman, Ade Adetimehin. Bakare said the suspension of the affected party members was first done at their various wards before it was ratified at the local government level.

Meanwhile, the APC in Ward 4, Agba-Oka in Akoko Southwest Local Government Area, has disassociated itself from the suspension of the lawmaker and others. The Agba-Oka Ward 4 APC, in a letter addressed to Adetimehin and signed by the Ward Vice Chairman and Secretary, Adiji Friday, and Balogun Olumide, respectively, called for the suspension to be quashed.

The letter said the leaders were suspended without any prior notice and urged the party’s leadership to take disciplinary action against those that carried out the suspension after investigations have been conducted. The letter stated that “Consequent upon the foregoing sir, no party members, leaders and officers of the party both past and present ever reported to the general meeting or the executive or the leaders about the conduct of the above-mentioned members at any point in time. No member of the party here in Ward 4 is in the know about such letters”.

“Sir, it is our candid view that if there is any allegation of misconduct in any manner whatsoever against the above-mentioned persons and a complaint is to be raised against them, such letters of complaint must be made available to the executive committee of the party the ward level and the executive committee will appoint a fact-finding or disciplinary committee to examine the matter. The APC executive committee in Ward 4, Agbe-Oka, Akoko has never for once reported any of our leaders to the local government executives for any misconduct or anti-party activities”.