By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The Chairman Congress Committee of Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC), Honourable Gambo Lawan on Saturday said his presence at the Friday harmonization meeting in Ibadan was in line with APC Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), directive.
Honourable Lawan stated thiswhile reacting to a statement credited to a Chieftain of the party in Oyo state, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN) that APC National Secretariat has no knowledge of his presence and that of the Appeal committee Chairman in Ibadan for the Friday meeting.
He stressed that the APC Chieftain was not in a position to query his integrity on his presence at the Ibadan harmonization meeting, saying his comments on him and others was nothing but figment of his imagination, personal opinion and ploy to get undue recognition.
Honourable Lawan maintained that if Chief Akintola has any complain on the APC state Congress, he should go to the party headquarters in Abuja to lodge such complain rather than saying the National Secretariat was not aware of his presence in Ibadan.
According to him,his presence in Ibadan on Friday, was sequel to Thursday, November 4, 2021 meeting of party leaders and stakeholders in Abuja presided over by the Secretary of Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Senator John Akpanudoedehe and a directive from the Chairman CECPC of the party, Mai Buni that he should be in attendance of all the reconciliation and harmonization meeting as observer both in Abuja and Ibadan.
Honourable Lawan maintained that his coming to Ibadan on Friday November 12, 2021 to attend the reconciliation and harmonization meeting in Ibadan as an observer was precipitated on this, as well directive from one of the aides of the Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Mai Buni on Wednesday that the Chairman, Mai Buni has directed him to inform him (Gambo) to attend Ibadan meeting on Friday.
” Before I came to Ibadan, there was a conference call between the Secretary of CECPC, former Oyo APC Chairman, Chief Akin Oke and former governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala where three of them agreed to meet at a venue chosen by Otunba Akala as the leader of the party in Oyo state”, he said.
Honourable Lawan added, ” based of the directive passed to me by aide of Mai Buni, I left Gombe to Bauchi and Bauchi to Abuja to take flight to Lagos, slept in Lagos on Thursday and on Friday morning, I left Lagos straight to Akala’s house, where they all agreed to meet for the reconciliation and harmonization meeting”.
“But to my surprise, I didn’t meet Chief Oke at the agreed venue, which is Otunba Akala’s house and I have to call him, he said he was coming until I got information that he was at party secretariat holding another meeting”.
Speaking further, Honourable Lawan stressed that according to APC constitution, ” the governor is leader of the party, where there is no governor, the former governor is the leader and that’s why instruction was given from Abuja, that Otunba Akala is the leader of the party in Oyo and that he should be the one to convey the meeting and they agreed”.
“When I got to Otunba Akala’s house, I met up to 90% of stakeholders that we have been holding meetings with, and according to directive from Abuja, I attended the meeting as an observer and my report would be submitted to the CECPC in Abuja.To my surprise Niyi Akintola who was not at Abuja meeting neither Ibadan meeting was saying to people that our presence in Ibadan was not knowing to party leadership:.
“This is my 43 years experience in politics, Chief Akintola has no moral right to question my integrity, let him go to party headquarters in Abuja to complain. I want to boldly say that, we came, we saw, we conquered and we have left”
