Dr Akin Onigbinde

Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan

Former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Dr Akin Onigbinde, SAN on Saturday emerged unopposed as the governorship candidate of the Alliance for Democracy, AD for Oyo state in the 2019 governorship election at the party congress held at A-Three Hotel, Along Iwo Road-Ojoo Expressway, Ibadan.

The primary election which was witnessed by the party leadership and members at all levels as well as Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was organised by the Mr Michael Akinropo led state executives.

Others aspirants who got the party tickets to contest 2019 election were three senatorial candidates, 12 house of representative candidates and 32 house of assembly.

Generally, 351 delegates from the wards in the state, state executives and about over 15 national officers of the party.

The national officers who monitored the exercise include, the National Vice Chairman/Southwest Chairman, Otunba Tayo Onayemi, National Vice Chairman South South, Mr Keneth Brown Ebughe, Chairman Congress and Primary Committee who also doubles as the National Welfare Officer, Mr John Okafor, Assistant National Secretary, Idris Musa Mohammed, National Deputy Legal Adviser, Mr Ken Emekowa, National Auditor, Mr John Onoku, Assistant National Organising Secretary, Mr Abubarkar Germans, National Women Leader, Abigirl Aina, National Ex-Officio, Mr Steve Omodogbe, Osun state chairman, Mr Olapade Fakunle, National Legal Adviser, Mr Kehinde Aworela, National Ex-Officio, Hajia Sadatu Bello, National Organising Secretary, Roland Kiente and Deputy Nations Treasurer, Ahmad Sagir amongst others.

However, another faction of the party led by Pastor Akin Alamu also held its congress at the Greenspring hotel, Old Ife Road, Ibadan,

The National Legal Adviser of the party, Kehinde Aworela described the Congress as  illegal.

The Alamu led caretaker primary, witnessed by the National Secretary, Akin Fasogbon, a party chieftain, Ayinla Bello, Ekiti State Caretaker Chairman, Famuseye Charles produced Akeem Alao as the governorship candidate.

In a swift reaction, Aworela stated that only candidates who emerged at the Congress led by Akinropo will be recognized by the national leadership of the party.

Addressing the delegates at the Akinropo’s primary, the Chairman, National Congress Planning Committee for Oyo state party delegates Congress and party primary, Mr Okafor said the national leadership of the party was shocked at what he described as the private decision of some individuals to set up caretaker committee, noting that any other primary held outside of the one witnessed by the national leaderships is a nullity.

Accoreing to him, “We are all shocked at the private decision of Mr Joseph Avazi and the National Secretary, Mr Akin Fasogbon to create a caretaker committee to run the affairs of Oyo state. Apart from the fact that our party does not know or recognise a caretaker committee structure in our party, it has no place in our constitution and if any decision of such magnitude were to be taken, it cannot be taken by only two persons pretending to be chairman and secretary NWC and NEC all roles into one. The party cannot be greater than the whole. Neither NWC nor NEC was privy to such a decision”.