President Bola Tinubu has met with about 76 chieftains of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State as efforts intensify to resolve internal disagreements within the party ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
As reported by PUNCH, the closed-door meeting, held at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, was reportedly convened after an intelligence report raised concerns about discontent among some APC leaders in the state.
Sources who attended the meeting said the report by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, indicated that several party leaders felt excluded from the affairs of the APC, including activities surrounding the governorship campaign.
Tinubu was said to have urged the aggrieved leaders to put their differences aside and work collectively for the victory of the party’s candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
The APC leaders were reportedly conveyed to Abuja on chartered flights from Ibadan, Oyo State, while some others travelled from Lagos for the late-night meeting.
Among those said to have attended were former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Olubunmi Ete; former state Assembly speakers, Mojeed Alabi, Adejare Bello and Wale Afolabi; as well as Shuaib Oyedokun, Poju Odusola and Bode Olanipekun.
The APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, was said to have coordinated the attendance of the party leaders following a request from the Presidency.
One of the participants, speaking anonymously, said the meeting provided an opportunity for the leaders to openly express their concerns about the way the party had been managed in the state.
“We were around 76 in number at the meeting. It was an opportunity for the President to know the truth about what is happening in Osun State,” the former lawmaker said.
He alleged that many party members had been left out of federal appointments and accused the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, of favouring members of his IleriOluwa political camp.
The participant said Tinubu acknowledged the concerns but warned that internal divisions could hurt the party’s chances at the forthcoming election.
According to him, the President reminded the leaders of the party’s defeats in the 2022 governorship election and the 2023 general election, urging them not to repeat the mistakes.
He quoted Tinubu as saying that Oyetola had been given the resources to secure re-election but lost, adding that the defeat ultimately affected the APC as a party.
Another participant described the meeting as productive, saying the President assured the leaders that there would be opportunities for members of the party if the APC won the governorship election.
He quoted Tinubu as telling the leaders that they should unite and concentrate on delivering Osun to the APC rather than remain divided over appointments.
The meeting was confirmed by the Osun APC Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Olabisi, although he declined to provide further details.
A source close to Basiru also confirmed his attendance, saying the national secretary facilitated the meeting as part of efforts to unite the party ahead of the election.
The source said the APC could not afford to enter the poll with unresolved grievances, adding that Basiru was committed to mobilising party members behind Oyebamiji.
Meanwhile, tension has also risen over allegations of planned cyber manipulation of the election.
The Accord Party accused the APC of allegedly bringing suspected hackers into Osogbo to compromise the Independent National Electoral Commission’s electronic systems ahead of the poll.
In a statement signed by its state chairman, Victor Akande, the party urged security agencies to investigate the allegation and called on INEC to strengthen its digital security.
The APC rejected the accusation, with its spokesperson, Olabisi, describing it as baseless and an indication that the Accord Party was apprehensive about losing the election.
Olabisi said the APC had no reason to manipulate the election, insisting that Oyebamiji would win through legitimate votes.
He challenged the Accord Party to report any suspected hacking operation to the security agencies instead of making what he described as unfounded allegations.