Oyo 2023: I’m in Support of Genuine Reconciliation, Not Deceptive One – Barr Agbaje Tells APC Nat’l, Zonal Leaders

Oyo 2023: I’m in Support of Genuine Reconciliation, Not Deceptive One – Barr Agbaje Tells APC Nat’l, Zonal Leaders.

“For the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to takeover power in Oyo State and secure maximum victory in the state and national elections, the national headquarters and zonal leaders of the party need to ensure reconciliation of all the aggrieved members in the fallout of the primary elections.

This was the advice of Barrister Akeem Agbaje, a legal practitioner and Gubernatorial aspirant in May 28 governorship primary in the state, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), on Saturday, in Abuja.

According to Agbaje, without genuine reconciliation of aggrieved contestants and party members after the primary elections that were marred by irregularities, APC may not be able to muster adequate support to victory.

“Reconciliation’ is a word that cannot in itself create anything. There must be sincerity, you don’t steal people’s mandate in the crudest of forms and now say `let us reconcile’.

“A fractionalised APC will find it difficult to win any of the elections (in Oyo state) in 2023. Fortunately we have time to heal the wounds.

“The national headquarters and the Leadership in the Southwest can step in, bring everybody together, unite everybody genuinely and the party will regain power.

“The candidates in Oyo State, the executive members that emerged after the poorly conducted primaries are not sincere with the reconciliation moves they are making.

He hinged the need for reconciliation on sharp practices that he said were not in tandem with the progressive ideology of the party.

“Primary elections are conducted by the national headquarters of individual party, if they do not initiate a credible process, they cannot get a credible result.

“They (national headquarters) should have ensured that most popular party members emerge in their primaries.

“The fact that APC is in opposition (in Oyo State) would suggest that the party will be more transparent in the conduct of its party primaries, not conducting them in a way that will damage the trust and loyalty of sincere party members.

“Oyo primary elections were heavily manipulated, so, many irregularities in the conduct of the primary, delegate lists made available for just 10 minutes on the election date,

“Delegate’s lists were compiled by an aspirant, Sen. Teslim Folarin, populated by his supporters, which led to exodus of some notable aggrieved contestants with their supporters.

“Some of us that contributed to the growth of the party cannot leave because we don’t want the party to die in the state,”he added.

The respected lawyer and party faithful, Agbaje suggested the kind of reconciliation that could possibly calm the nerves of the aggrieved members, bring them back to the party’s fold and return them to winning ways.

“You must put something on the table. You must tell people , ‘Okay, it has come and gone, let us be united’. It is only when we are united that we can succeed,” he reiterated.

“You must offer something. You may liken it to a situation where someone stole your car and now call you to push it for him, it is very difficult.

“You cannot just say, let us work together and succeed without any attempt to appease them, you must also build their confidence.

“What is the assurance that someone that abused power within the party will not do more when he gets the real power?

“If someone that doesn’t have executive power can go to the extent he (Sen. Teslim Folarin) went in the last primary election, you can imagine what he will do if he gets into power.

“Reconciliation is important. I am fully supportive of reconciliation but not deceptive reconciliation. They must carry everybody along,”he said.

Agbaje also advised that Sen. Folarin-led APC in Oyo state should consider shifting ground on some elective positions that the party could win with more formidable and credible aspirants that were denied free and fair contest.

“You must give something to the aggrieved parties, no matter how small”.

Agbaje commended President Muhammadu Buhari for displaying high sense of commitment to victory in the 2023 Presidential election by ensuring that most credible and popular candidate emerged during the party’s presidential primary.

He described the process that produced Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the party’s flag bearer, to be worthy of adopting by the party in all subsequent internal elections.

NAN recalls that Agbaje came third in the Oyo Gubernatorial primary election in May, contested by six aspirants which led to the emergence of Folarin.

Barrister Akeem Agbaje, a legal luminary and illustrious son of Ibadan land, hailed from a family of many firsts; Late Dr. Anthony Saka Agbaje, the first medical doctor of Ibadan origin, Late Chief Abdul Mojeed Folarin Agbaje, the first lawyer of Ibadan Origin; and Late Hon. Justice Abdul Ganiyu Agbaje JSC, the first Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria of Ibadan origin.

Barr. Akeem is a progeny of the Legendary Agbaje Salami L’Ayeye. The Great Agbaje Salami was an earlier Ibadan billionaire, first generation Nigerian politician, influential statesman and notable philanthropist, who immensely contributed his own quota to the sociocultural, socioreligious and sociopolitical advancements and progress of Ibadan Land and its environs.