National Leader of the Accord party and former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasheed Ladoja, yesterday, raised an alarm over the commitment of the All Progressives Congress-led government in the state to conduct council election despite the announcement of February 11, 2017, as the date for the polls.
Ladoja, who spoke during the state congress of Accord party held at the Green Springs Hotel in Ibadan, said the alarm about the date stemmed from failure of earlier promises on the proposed election.
Those elected at the well attended congress, which was witnessed by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies, include Alhaji Wahab Oyelade (state chairman); Dr Nureni Adeniran, who was immediate past publicity secretary, was elected state Secretary; Mrs. Yetunde Ajibola (Women leader); Akeem Olatunji (Publicity Secretary); Youth leader, Mr Adekola Adeoye; Organising Secretary, Nasiru Adeniyi and Treasurer, Pastor Oladimejo Orolade.
The chieftains of the party at the congress are Senator Olufemi Lanlehin; Chief Bayo Lawal; Chief Dele Adigun; Prof. Tunde Ayeleru; former deputy speaker, Hon. Babatunde Olaniyan; Hon. Olayemi Busari; all eight Accord members in the state House of Assembly, among others.
The Osi Olubadan, however, said Accord is always ready to challenge and defeat the APC at the polls anytime the election would be held, assuring the people of the state that his party would meet their aspiration for a better government.
He emphasised that Accord remained the party to beat in the state in both the council election and future polls with its over 200,000-strong and ever-grow-ing membership.
Ladoja, who lauded the party faithful for their peaceful conduct at the congress, tasked the new leadership elected through affirmation to reposition the party for greater performance and appeal to aggrieved members.
He said, “It was difficult to choose 20 people from our registered members who are in excess of 200, 000. Everybody cannot be elected as executive member and this is what those who are aggrieved must realise and retrace their step”.
The newly elected state chairman, Alhaji Oyelade, assured of bringing aggrieved members back into the mainstream of the party, saying “it is good to have a party but it is better if the party forms the next government in the state.”
Adeniran, the newly secretary, called for the amendment of the constitution to pave way for INEC to conduct local government election in states as it did in 1998, a council poll he described as the best council so far held in the country.
He said, “I won election as council chairman under the Alliance for Democracy in 1998 and AD won 18 councils, PDP nine and APP six in that election. Despite AD winning the governorship election in the state, it was not a clean sweep for the ruling party because INEC conducted that election.
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