The APC Local Government Chairmen yesterday paid a courtesy visit to Bayo Adelabu, the Oyo State APC candidate in the last election. The party leaders made the visit at the Bayo Adelabu Foundation Hall where they shed light on the way forward to foster unity within the party structure. The Chairman of Lagelu LG, Alh. Raimi Zaria, while speaking appreciated the superb efforts of the party as a whole during the electioneering campaign, he also accentuated the popularity of Penkelemesi before and during the election, but thanked God for the life of Bayo Adelabu for seeing through the period unscathed. He likened his wide acceptance to that of the great Chief MKO Abiola but unfortunately was unable to see through the tough times. He then pleaded with Adelabu to continue his good work in uniting the party and take a good grip of the party structure like he has been known to constantly do. He went a step further to solicit on behalf of his colleagues for Bayo Adelabu's appointment as a Minister of Finance in the next dispensation of the APC government. He maintained that Adelabu is most suited for the office of the Minister as he in pole position for the leadership of the party and also as a minister, he will be in the best position to finance the party and build the strongest footsoldiers to win the battle in 2023.
The Ibadan SouthWest LG Chairman, Mr Aderemi Oni also highlighted the need for crises management and proper handling of rancour within the party. He said Adelabu who is now a leader in the party should also surround himself with people who are politically savvy and who are in tunes with the intrigues in politics.
Bayo Adelabu while speaking thanked them graciously for their kind gesture in coming to pay a courtesy visit to him in his office. He said it was in his structured plan to invite the leaders for a meeting but at the best appropriate time. He thanked them also for having stayed with him since the party primaries into the general election and though the results did not go as planned, he appreciates their efforts nonetheless.
He also used the medium to channel to the party leaders that he is for the party, the APC and he has no other plan of going anywhere else. He also berated the comments from some cynics that he and the governor, Abiola Ajimobi are at loggerheads. Adelabu said their relationship as father and son is even healthier than before and their bond got stronger even after the election loss and he will be forever grateful to him for his candidature in the last election and as a political mentor and role model. Adelabu waxed philosophical when he stated that 'the end will justify the means' on Gov. Ajimobi's impact in Oyo State.
In the end, the chairmen agreed that it was a combination of overconfidence on the part of members and leaders, relying on the popularity of the party and its candidate, as well as electoral fraud and multiple votings that caused our loss. Alhaja Tinuade Adigun of Ibadan North then thanked Bayo Adelabu for his unflinching support for the party and his spirit of sportsmanship during and after the election, she prayed for good things to come the way of Adelabu and the party in general.
The meeting did not end without the sincere appreciation of the donation of two buses per local government which nobody had ever done before and they promised to maintain the buses very well so it can be useful for the next election. They also affirm their support for Bayo Adelabu candidature come 2023, having been tested to be a popular candidate in the last election. And once the mistakes of the last elections are corrected and genuine reconciliations undertaken, victory is sure in 2023.
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