Elder David Oluokun mocks Oyo APM, ADC and Accord over candidate controversies, urging them to settle their “candidate wahala” before seeking votes.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Elder David Oluokun, has mocked the internal crises rocking the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Accord Party in Oyo State, saying the three parties should resolve their respective candidate controversies before asking the people for their votes.
Oluokun’s reaction followed fresh developments within the parties, particularly the controversy surrounding the APM’s candidates for the forthcoming local government elections and the disagreements over the 2027 governorship ticket of some opposition parties in the state.
The crisis within the APM deepened on Wednesday when party leader, Alhaji Adebisi Olopoeyan, met with local government and ward chairmen at his residence in Bashorun, Ibadan.
The meeting was attended by APM local government chairmen and some ward chairmen, while a representative of the party chairman, Hon. Adejumo, was also present.
Speaking during the meeting, Olopoeyan insisted that candidates who emerged from the party’s earlier primary election remained the legitimate candidates of the APM, rejecting any attempt to replace them.
The development has further heightened the controversy over the party’s candidates for the forthcoming local government elections, with questions being raised over competing claims concerning the authentic candidates.
Meanwhile, the Accord Party is also facing controversy over its 2027 governorship ticket, following a declaration by party stakeholders in Oyo State that Oriyomi Hamzat is not the candidate of the party.
The declaration, made at a gathering attended by the Chairman of the Accord Party, Oyo State Chapter, has further complicated the political situation surrounding the party ahead of the 2027 election.
The ADC has also been affected by internal disagreements, with different factions laying competing claims to the party’s governorship ticket and no clear-cut consensus candidate emerging from the controversy.
Reacting to the developments in a statement on Wednesday, Oluokun said the parties should first settle their internal disputes and establish who their candidates are before approaching Oyo residents for electoral support.
He described the unfolding situation as “increasingly amusing,” noting that APM is struggling over the legitimacy of its candidates, Accord is distancing itself from Oriyomi Hamzat, while different factions within ADC are also fighting over the party’s ticket.
“At this rate, Oyo people may soon need to check the news every morning just to know who is a candidate and who has been ‘uncandidated’ overnight,” Oluokun said.
He added that “elections are not hide-and-seek,” stressing that political parties should be able to clearly identify their candidates and present them to the electorate without leaving voters to figure out their internal arrangements.
Oluokun also took a swipe at Governor Seyi Makinde over his perceived interest in the 2027 presidential conversation, suggesting that the governor should first help his political associates resolve their candidate disputes before attention shifts to the race for Aso Rock.
“What makes it even more interesting is that while this confusion continues, Governor Seyi Makinde appears increasingly focused on the 2027 presidential conversation.
“Perhaps the governor should first help his political associates solve the small matter of who their candidates are before the conversation moves to who will occupy Aso Rock,” he said.
According to the APC chieftain, political parties cannot reasonably ask voters for their mandate when they are still struggling to agree among themselves on who should carry their flags.
He therefore urged the APM, ADC and Accord to resolve their internal disagreements before commencing serious campaigns for the 2027 election.
Full statement:
Oyo 2027: APM, ADC and Accord Should Identify Their Candidates Before Asking for Votes — Elder David Oluokun
The unfolding drama in APM and Accord is becoming increasingly amusing. APM is busy arguing over whose candidates are legitimate, amid allegations of attempts to impose candidates favoured by the Makinde administration, while Accord is distancing itself from Oriyomi Hamzat and suggesting that, perhaps, he is planning to contest on his own.same for different factions of ADC fighting over the ticket with no clear cut candidate.
At this rate, Oyo people may soon need to check the news every morning just to know who is a candidate and who has been “uncandidated” overnight.
Elections are not hide-and-seek. Political parties should be able to clearly identify their candidates and present them to the electorate without leaving voters to figure out the situation themselves.
What makes it even more interesting is that while this confusion continues, Governor Seyi Makinde appears increasingly focused on the 2027 presidential conversation.
Perhaps the governor should first help his political associates solve the small matter of who their candidates are before the conversation moves to who will occupy Aso Rock.
Politics is serious business. Parties cannot reasonably ask voters for their mandate when they are still struggling to agree among themselves on who should carry their flag.
My advice to APM , ADC and Accord is simple: settle your candidate wahala first. When you finally know who your candidates are, kindly inform Oyo people. We are waiting.
Elder David Oluokun
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