Mr Sunday Dare, the Minister of Youth and Sports, has insisted that only an all-inclusive, transparent and fair congress could save the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state from imminent crisis.
The minister, in a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen on Sunday in Ibadan, urged party members to remain calm.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Dare was reacting to the palpable tension among party faithful after the disputed party congress which was boycotted by a sizeable number of party leaders.
NAN reports that the minister and other party leaders on Saturday kicked against the conduct of the state’s rescheduled congress with a delegates’ list alleged to have been falsified.
He assured that the national leadership of the party would make the right decision on the matter, saying the different parts of Oyo APC forged the unity required by all.
“This later day seeming hijack of the party by a few will not stand. The collective majority stands with the party.
“Those that took a different turn want to destabilize the party. They will not go far. What happened on Saturday is a glaring anathema to needed unity in the party.
“Sincere and deliberate steps must be taken to salvage the unity in the party. The general elections in 2023 is fast approaching,” he said.
Dare said tension gripped the party when it was reported that the final list from the ward and local government congresses in the state had been tampered with (doctored).
He recalled that the request for the legitimate list of the earlier congresses was not granted to the APC executives in the state.
The minister said that the irregularities in the list was detected and disclosed by Chief Akin Oke, the state chairman, barely 12 hours to the rescheduled state congress. (NAN)