Guber Poll: Crisis Looms In Osun APC As Members Oppose Option A4

Contrary to opinion of some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State calling for the use of ‘Option A4’ in picking the party’s flagbearer in the September 22 governorship election in the state, most members have risen against it warning that it will spell doom for the party.

This forms part of the general opinion of members during a survey conducted by CityMirrorNews should the Option A4 method be adopted in picking the party’s governorship candidate.

According to the medium’s findings, most of the party members, wondered why Osun’s case should be different among its peers across the country.

In their views, what sauces for the goose also sauce for the gander, as the popular indirect primaries have been used in picking the party’s governorship candidates in Anambra, Ondo, Edo and recently in Ekiti States, why should the Osun’s case be different.

In the opinion of a chieftain of the party from Ifedayo Local Government Council Area of the state, Alhaji Kamar Afolabi the Option A4 will worsen the party’s chances at the September 22 polls in view of its numerous demerits.

The octogenarian stressed that presently the party members and the leadership are not enjoying the best of relationship over the long delay before the ban on governorship aspirations was lifted.

The Option A4, in his view, is prone to manipulations by the party leadership and even the government, as all the party members, who are expected to participate in the process may be scared from voting for the candidates of their choice.

“Tell me, who among the party members would have the gut to vote against the governor’s preferred choice among the aspirants should the Option A4 method be adopted?

“None of them, I can confidently tell you,” he stressed.

Another member of the party from Ikire, headquarters of Irewole Local Government Council Area of the state, Pa Samuel Adeleke spoke vehemently against the adoption of the Option A4 in picking the party’s flagbearer as the members are likely to be intimidated even after the primaries by the governor and the party leadership for not voting for their preferred aspirant.

Most of the party members also noted that Option A4 is alien to past practices of the APC, as all candidates, including President Muhammadu Buhari were products of the indirect primaries and therefore wondered who among the party leadership members would want to turn the apple’s cart by smuggling such into the party’s electoral process at this time.

Other demerit of the Option A4 approach to picking the party’s governorship candidate is the security challenge it might raise among the party members, as all the security personnel in the state may not even be enough to provide security at the venue of the state primaries.

Another vital point raised by the anti-option A4 proponents is that since the method demands that all card-carrying members of the party in the state would converge to queue behind their choices, some former members who had crossed to other parties may take advantage of the lapses to forment trouble and disrupt the process.

The party members therefore appealed to the party leadership at the state and national levels to turn deaf ears to those agitating for Option A4, as the method will likely send the party into extinction in the state.

“Those agitating for use of Option A4 are only after their selfish interest and not having the party’s interest in their hearts.

“The pro-option A4 campaigners are either afraid that their preferred aspirant may lose, should the indirect primaries, which will involve only delegates, be adopted or they are simply on a self-serving mission,” Mr Paul Fadiora, another APC from Ile-Ife, emphasized.