Juliet Oladele, Reporting
THE National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has expressed confidence that the internal rift threatening the party’s unity in Oyo State is on the verge of resolution, insisting that all grievances raised by disgruntled governorship aspirants will be fully addressed.
Speaking to journalists late on Wednesday night in Ibadan following the presentation of the state reconciliation committee’s findings, Yilwatda sought to downplay the severity of the party’s internal crisis, likening it to a routine familial squabble.
“The APC is a family. Whatever is happening in the party is a family issue. It is normal for members of the same family to have challenges, but we are happy that the issues are being addressed as a family,” Yilwatda stated.
He further assured that the party’s structure remains robust, adding: “From the report that we gathered from the reconciliation committee and other stakeholders, the party is stable and we are good to go.”
The high-stakes meeting, attended by the party’s governorship candidate, Sharafadeen Alli, was convened as part of a broader strategy to heal wounds following recent primaries and to fortify the party’s position ahead of the 2027 general elections. However, the absence of several key figures was notable. Governorship hopefuls including Bayo Adelabu, Akeem Agbaje, Hakeem Alao, Rauf Olaniyan, and the party’s 2023 governorship candidate, Teslim Folarin, were not present at the gathering.
Despite their absence, insiders suggest that the aggrieved faction has signalled a willingness to give peace a chance.
The Chairman of the Reconciliation Committee, Femi Lanlehin, provided further insight into the delicate negotiations. He confirmed that the committee had engaged with all disgruntled aspirants and had laid its findings before the national leadership for action.
“We just came out of the primaries and some people are not happy with the outcome. They expressed their disappointment. They were aggrieved. We have presented our findings to the national chairman of our party to act on it,” Lanlehin explained.
Significantly, Lanlehin revealed that the party leadership is planning to escalate the matter to the highest level, with a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on the cards to resolve the issue “as a family.” He struck a defiant note regarding the party’s electoral prospects, warning that the APC cannot afford to lose Oyo State to the opposition in 2027.
“We cannot afford to lose the 2027 election to any opposition parties in Oyo State. I am assuring you that we will win all the elective positions at all levels in 2027 in Oyo State,” Lanlehin declared.
The reconciliation process, described by Yilwatda as a “continuous” effort, is now seen as critical to ensuring the APC presents a united front as it looks to reclaim political ground in the South-West geopolitical zone.
