The national
leadership of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) was in Ibadan,
the state capital, on Monday, to formally endorse the candidacy of
Adebayo Shittu as the flag bearer of the party for the 2011 governorship
election in the state.
The visit was
predicated upon the crisis that rocked the party after two candidates
emerged at two separate congresses held to pick their candidates for the
2011 elections recently.
Messrs Shittu and
Taiwo Ibrahim had emerged from parallel primaries held in the state,
casting the picture of disarray on the party. The primary also led to a
purported expulsion of Mr. Shittu from the party by the state party
executives, through a letter jointly signed by Muritala Oderinde and
Hafiz Oladejoin, chairman and publicity secretary respectively.
But the national
secretariat of the party intervened last week, setting up a committee
saddled with the responsibility of looking into issues in the crisis and
find ways of bringing together the warring factions.
Comprising the
Southwest members of the board of trustee, national chairman and the
vice chairman (Southwest) and all the Southwest chairmen, the team held a
marathon meeting with the state zone from 2.00pm on Sunday through
Monday morning.
The marathon meeting
led to the agreement among members to allow Mr. Shittu run for the post
and confirmed M.A.F. Oderinde as the state chairman.
“The party has
resolved Adebayo Shittu is the governorship candidate of our great party
in Oyo State after he emerged from the party primaries and after
complying duly with all the party’s primaries conditions,” Mr. Banji
Ayiloge, the Ondo State chairman, said in a communiqué issued after the
meeting.
It was also agreed
that all the parallel executives in the state, local government, and
wards should harmonise for the purpose of the forthcoming election and
the development of the party.
