A political pressure group under the banner of Oyun Progressive Youths for Fairness has called on members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyun local government area of Kwara State to ignore rumours surrounding an alleged endorsement of the incumbent lawmaker, Hon. Toye, ahead of the party’s State House of Assembly primary election.
The group, in a strongly worded statement made available to journalists, insisted that party delegates and stakeholders must be allowed to freely choose the most competent, popular and credible aspirant among those contesting for the ticket.
According to the group, reports making the rounds that the Kwara State Governor had allegedly directed party members to support the incumbent member were “false, misleading and capable of creating unnecessary tension within the party.”
The youths maintained that the APC in Oyun should remain committed to internal democracy, fairness and equal opportunity for all aspirants seeking the party’s ticket.
“We want to clearly state that there is no officially approved consensus candidate for the primary election. Party members should not be deceived by rumours or political propaganda being spread in some quarters,” the statement read.
The group further urged delegates and party faithful to vote based on competence, performance, acceptability and the ability of a candidate to genuinely represent the interests of the people at the State House of Assembly.
They stressed that the forthcoming primary election presents an opportunity for the APC to strengthen unity within the party by ensuring a transparent and credible process.
The youths also warned against any attempt to impose a candidate on party members, noting that such a move could create division and dissatisfaction among loyal supporters of the party in Oyun Local Government Area.
“We believe the APC is a progressive party that stands for justice and fairness. The people should be allowed to decide who truly has the popularity, capacity and political strength to fly the party’s flag,” the group added.
The group appealed to aspirants and their supporters to conduct themselves peacefully before, during and after the primaries, while calling on party leaders to remain neutral in the interest of unity and democracy.
Political observers in the area believe the APC primary election in Oyun is likely to be keenly contested, as several aspirants are said to be enjoying massive grassroots support ahead of the exercise.