Egbeda APM Leaders Reject Oladebo Simple, Job As Chair, Vice-Chair Candidates

Stakeholders, elders and party leaders of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Egbeda Local Government Area of Oyo State have unanimously rejected the chairmanship and vice-chairmanship candidacy of Hon. Ibrahim Oladebo (Simple) and Hon. Taiyewo Olusola Job, declaring that their emergence did not receive the approval of the majority of party leaders and stakeholders in the council.

The position of the stakeholders was contained in a communiqué issued after a meeting held to review the party’s preparations for the forthcoming local government election.

Speaking on behalf of the stakeholders, the leaders, led by Alhaji Liadi Busari** and Hon. Jumoke Lawal (popularly known as Mama Pineapple), reaffirmed that the communiqué reflected the collective position of the recognised elders and stakeholders of the party in Egbeda Local Government.

According to the communiqué, the stakeholders maintained that the emergence of Oladebo and Job contradicted the directive of the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, who had reportedly advised that leaders and stakeholders in each local government should reach a common decision in producing consensus candidates acceptable to all.

The stakeholders alleged that, rather than following the governor’s directive, certain individuals imposed the candidacy of Hon. Oladebo and Hon. Job without the knowledge or consent of the recognised leaders and stakeholders in Egbeda Local Government.

They stressed that no single individual or interest group should override the collective decision of the majority, insisting that party unity and internal democracy must be respected.

The communiqué further revealed that the stakeholders had unanimously adopted Hon. Lekan Bello as their consensus chairmanship candidate and approved the emergence of Alhaji Luku Akinpelu as the consensus vice-chairmanship candidate, describing both choices as the product of extensive consultations and broad-based acceptance among party leaders and stakeholders.

They noted that the endorsement of Bello and Akinpelu was backed by an overwhelming majority of the ward structure, with 10 out of the 11 ward chairmen in Egbeda Local Government appending their signatures in support of the consensus arrangement.

The stakeholders therefore urged the state leadership of the Allied Peoples Movement to recognise and uphold the collective decision reached by the leaders and stakeholders in Egbeda, insisting that the wishes of the majority should prevail.

They added that copies of the communiqué had been forwarded to the state executive of the party and made available to the public to formally communicate their position.

Reaffirming their commitment to the progress and unity of the party, the stakeholders declared that “no individual can ever be greater than the majority,” while calling on the party leadership to respect the democratic consensus reached by leaders at the grassroots.