An anonymous party source who doesn’t want name mentioned has berated the party’s the process that produced the new state leadership under the new chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), former deputy governor Moses Adeyemo.
The source accused the APC leadership in the state of sidelining genuine grassroots engagement and producing what was described as a charade that is capable of undermining the chance of the party to producing a formidable and united front in the coming 2027 general election.
The source explained that there is an uneasy calmness within the ranks of the party in the state following the outcome of the state party Congress.
The source disclosed that the former deputy governor was physically absent at the Congress venue and was not on ground to participate in the process that produced him as a party man.
“Oyo state APC has conducted the kind of Congress that has never been witnessed before. They didn’t even spend more than few minutes for the whole exercise.
“They just hurriedly announced names of new executives. Nobody moved a motion or duly seconded for adoption for any of the offices as required by the APC Constitution.
“We’ve never seen this type of Congress before and that is to tell you that APC is not really on ground in the state,” the source stated.
The comments came after the party unveiled a new names of its state executives with former Deputy Governor announced as new state chairman following Tuesday’s congress which held in Ibadan.
The source argued that what was presented as a “state congress” was little more than a pre-arranged announcement of names, and not a true expression of internal democracy.
“You cannot claim a congress happened when there was no meaningful interaction with party members on the ground.
“What we witnessed was an announcement of names that happened under few minutes without the process that is supposed to legitimise that announcement,” the source said.
According to the source, the absence of transparent engagement at the grassroots level, a cornerstone of any participatory political party, raises questions about the credibility of the exercise.
“A party that cannot organise itself before handing out positions cannot expect members to take its processes seriously, it shows APC is only joined together by different individuals who only plan to use the party to advance personal political careers,” the source added.
Westernmirror.com.ng had earlier reported that Oyo APC Congress held on Tuesday at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, formerly Liberty Stadium.
The process was observed by officials including an ad hoc Zoning Committee and national party representatives, who saw the emergence of Adeyemo “by consensus,” a term many within APC circles used to describe the outcome.
While the APC leadership and some stakeholders have celebrated the development as evidence of party unity and readiness for future elections, the party source’s critique indicates unease among some members.
In the days following the exercise, party figures such as the Power Minister and a former First Lady issued congratulatory messages, lauding the new leadership and urging cohesion within the party ranks.
The source however, argued that without a congress rooted in genuine participation and consultation, the APC risks undermining its own claims of internal democracy at a time when it seeks to position itself ahead of the 2027 general elections.