The Oyo State chapter of the APC has called on aspirants to ensure peaceful conduct during the party’s primaries while condemning a recent attack on its state secretariat in Ibadan.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has urged aspirants contesting various positions in the party’s forthcoming primary elections to conduct themselves peacefully and responsibly throughout the exercise.
The state Chairman of the party and former deputy governor, Moses Adeyemo, gave the charge on Thursday during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the party secretariat in Ibadan.
Adeyemo said the call became necessary as the party prepares to commence its nationwide primaries on Friday to produce candidates for the House of Representatives ahead of the next general elections.
He urged all aspirants to display discipline and exemplary conduct before, during and after the primaries, stressing that the party leadership would not tolerate any form of misconduct.
According to him, the stakeholders’ meeting was convened to discuss modalities for conducting direct primaries in federal constituencies where more than one aspirant had been cleared to contest.
He added that affirmation processes would be adopted in constituencies where consensus candidates had emerged.
“We tried to preach the gospel of consensus, and the fact that we still have numerous aspirants who purchased the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms from our state does not imply that you do not have confidence in us,” Adeyemo said.
“I, personally, take it that you are exercising your democratic rights, but in doing this, you must not discard the ethos of progressivism and rationality,” he added.
Also speaking, the APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Olawale Sadare, condemned Monday’s violent incident involving suspected hoodlums who allegedly invaded the party secretariat in Ibadan.
Sadare said several party leaders and members were forced to flee for safety during the attack.
According to him, the hoodlums stormed the secretariat in large numbers armed with dangerous weapons and charms, unleashing violence on members of the State Executive Committee, party staff and others present at the venue.
“The attacks, which lasted for about two hours, left in their wake damage to private cars and the secretariat building, as windshields, tyres, office windows, doors, among other things, were shattered,” he stated.
Sadare described the incident as a sponsored attack carried out by disgruntled elements within the political space.
“It was a case of sponsored attacks by some disgruntled elements, but we are glad that no life was lost in the unprovoked attacks,” he said.
He further disclosed that the matter had already been reported to security agencies and investigations were ongoing.
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