Congress: Consensus not Possible in osun APC – Party Secretary, Salinsile

Less than seventy-two hours to the conduct of election into ward congress of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, it was not clear whether the exercise will be determined through consensus process or otherwise.

Investigation conducted by our Correspondent revealed that the current caretaker committee headed by Prince Gboyega Famodun and some political groups were lobbying stakeholders of the party to adopt consensus process for the congress expected to kick off on Saturday July 31st 2021 but have not been fruitful due to alleged division within the fold of the party.

The alleged division was however as a result of alleged misunderstanding between Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and his predecessor in office and now Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

The alleged feud has polarised the party in the state and all efforts by some national chieftains of the party to resolve it had failed.

There is however strong indications that the Saturday ward party congress would be determined either through direct primary or indirect primary (Delegate System).

Speaking on the development, the Caretaker State Secretary of the party, Alhaji Rasaq Salinsile said that the party could not go for consensus because of lack of mutual agreement between the stakeholders to adopt such mode for the congress.

Salinsile explained that consensus could only be possible where there is agreement between stakeholders of the party, maintaining that the current situation in the Osun APC does not accommodate consensus.

According to him, “The constitution of the party states that there are three ways through which you can elect candidates: The first one is Consensus, the second is Direct primary and the third one is Indirect primary –delegate system.

“By my understanding, consensus means agreement. If that is correct, stakeholders have to be invited and discuss over it and take a common position. But in this instance, in spite of the fact that I am the State Secretary of Osun APC, nobody ever informed me or discuss with me on anything consensus.

“I was telling the Chairman of the party, Prince Gboyega Famodun when we were discussing on Tuesday that this is not how to go about it and they have gone wrongly over this issue. If we are going for consensus, we have a list of stakeholders of APC in Osun, they should have called those stakeholders to sit down and deliberate on whatever we want to do.

“Each of us would be committed, make suggestions and at the end of the day, we will come with a way out. However, in this instance, they just selected Ileri Oluwa members and assign them with the duty of going about and canvassing for consensus congress.

“In each Federal Constituency, they selected some people who are substantially members of the Governor group, Ileri Oluwa, to the extent that myself as the State Secretary of the party was not carried along and anybody that is not a member of IleriOluwa was not consulted or invited. Where is the consensus here? I told him it can never fly.

“If consensus means agreement, there is no agreement between us. Anytime from now, we are expecting the Congress Committee.”