Social Development And Accountability Project SDAP

OYO STATE PARTY PRIMARY ELECTION AND THE IMPOSITION THEATRICS

Naturally, democracy operates principle of majority which emphasizes that decision must be in accordance with the desire of the populace. The principle of majority can be popularly achieved at the end of every decision made electorally and such decision is upheld and binding in democratic setting. Prior to general elections in democratic states, there is a tradition which ought to be genuinely exercise within political parties that wish to contest in the aforementioned elections. The tradition is the primary election among members of a political party in which the winner becomes the flag-bearer of such political party in readiness for the general election with other political parties flag-bearers.

Political party is a social structure made up of people with like minds and ideologies aimed at election contest, with a hope to win and form a government of either a country, state(s) or localities.

Primary election in any political party is as important as having the steering committee of the party because it dictates to some extent the acceptability of the Political party in the general election. Therefore, it is to be pivoted through harmonious relationship and acceptance from all members of the party and contenders in the primary election which oils the internal democracy of the party. Internal democracy in any political party can never be underemphasized because it is through this every members enjoy his/her political right in the party, either to vie for a post or remain a stakeholder and a force to reckon with during party's primary election.

Democracy operates on the basis of fairness, justice and impartiality, therefore, internal democracy in any political party must represent a level playing ground for all members to compete for any political office they might desire for in preparation for the general election. Equal political opportunities and liberties are antidote to imposition of any kind, be it candidate or vital political party decision which bears internal democracy in political parties. Absence of internal democracy in political parties can be best described as democracy without democracy because political parties are the substructure upon which a nation’s democracy is built. A threat to internal democracy of a party is a threat to the democracy of the nation and a severe threat to good governance in the country.

Candidate imposition is a major feature of lack of political party internal democracy. Candidate imposition is an act in which some influential and powerful political party leaders handpicks their favourite as a candidate without considering the progress and well-being of the other political party members and the unity of the party. It also refers to anointing candidate by some influential and powerful political party leaders and forcing such upon the rest of the political party members. On the other hand, political party internal democracy means culture and norms which are; tolerance for others’ view-points, right to compete for supports and votes, free and fair elections, eligibility for public office and playing politics in accordance with the guidelines of a political party.

Sadly in Nigeria, lack of internal democracy due to impunity causes imposition of candidates which poses severe threat to unity and legitimacy of party's flag-bearers in the general election. This had led to factions in political party and making one of the two parties involved losing out (through judgement of the court). We had witnessed the sack of elective political office holders due to irregularities of the party's primaries that produced them. In the context of this writing, the theatrics and run of activities during Oyo State party primary elections will be put into circumspect.

Taking a close look at imposition as one of the bane to modern day democracy, Oyo State political space has been a theatre of dream and loads of all sort of surprises since the parties primary election started and ended. Never forget so soon that before the party primary election, there has been some internal crack in the party between the governor's camp and those that describe themselves as aggrieved PDP member's where some ardent PDP stalwarts belong. The likes of Alhaji Bisi Oloopoenia, Nurain Akanbi, Hazeem Gbalarunmi, Honourable Mulikat Adeola, Babafemi Jogor and hosts of others.

Despite all peace movement by the national body, all efforts has proved abortive. One would have expected that following the fall out that ensued between the governor and some member's of the party after the Local Government Election where the Governor decided to choose individuals that are closer to him, the primary election should have been a good avenue to settle the scores between them by shifting ground and allowing a peaceful, fair and just primary election. This appears to be like an illusive myth.

Also there are some instances where the governor needed to impose members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who are loyalists of Senator Monsurat Sunmonu in some local government most especially in Oyo Town. It was assumed prior before the primary election that in any local government where consensus failed, people are allowed to vote for individuals of their choice but this appear to be mere cheap talk as there are video evidences where individuals expressed their grievances on the system of imposition by the governor on people from certain local governments.

The various act by the governor coupled with the aftermath of the primary election forced people like Honourable Mulikat Adeola, Alhaji Adebisi Olopooenia, Babafemi Jogor out of the party. Some members of the party even found it funny when the governor of the state singlehandedly handpicked a new decampee from the All Progressive Congress, Honourable Ademola Ojo as the new Deputy Chief of Staff. Some have weighed this option and felt abit jilted. Some of the party men who have worked assiduously day and night believed that the Governor should have rewarded core party men and women before giving Deputy Chief of Staff position to a new member of the party who had even flagged to contest for House of Representatives seat under the auspices of Accord Party after he lost in APC due to the same imposition theatrics by Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin.

However, while the PDP crisis still appears hot, the governor has ensured that some party members who lost at the primary election would be given appointments and substituted for all government appointees that won the primary election. As such, people like Wale Ajani, Ogunlade Abisoye have been given appointment in OYSROMA and Oyo State Liason Office in Abuja respectively. This single decision by the governor might as well have doused the tension between the aggrieved individual after the post primary election and the governor's camp.

In the case of the All Progressive Congress in Oyo State, the party has become a house of commotion and confusion subject to loads of dramas and tactics that ensued between the camp of Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin and the camp of people like Bayo Adelabu, Azeez Adeduntan and host of others. We shouldn't forget quickly the event that precede the party primary election which was the state congress where some anomalies were discovered. This is the beginning of the current crisis in Oyo State APC where the other camps believed that those who are loyal to Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin have hijacked the Party from everyone by imposing Honorable Isaac Omodewu on the party.

As if that is not enough, the drama that followed the APC State Congress where both warring parties recognizes two individuals as party chairman. The camp of Senator Teslim Folarin recognize Isaac Omodewu while the camp of Bayo Adelabu recognizes Abu Gbadamosi. The Oyo State APC up until the day Senator Abiola Ajimobi died has been a house with no acceptable leader. One could remember vividly that even when immediate past Governor of Oyo State, Governor Also Akala was alive, there has always been friction between him and Baba Akin Oke on whom the party's leadership is. Put differently, the primary election of APC from the gubernatorial election to house of assembly was loaded with lots of anomalies ranging from doctoring delegates names to imposition of newly decamped member of PDP on the party.

One should not forget the imposition of Muraina Saubana on people of Ibarapa and how that forced people like Ademola Ojo and Kewulere Mukaran out of the Party to PDP and APP respectively. One shouldn't forget so easily the unfruitful effort to impose Senator Kola Balogun on the party which was repelled by the party stalwarts either ways in Oyo South. One should not forget the unfair treatment that some aspirants for member of house of assembly showed following the jamboree primary election and that of the house of representatives and senate.

The event over the week has forced individual like Bayo Adelabu, Senator Ayoola Adeseun, Soji Ojoawo, Wakil Oyedemi, Faozey Oladotun, Mr Tosho, Wahab Adeojo, Shina Peller and host of others out of the party, while reasons for Honorable Shina Peller appears more different from others. These set of people are now candidates under the auspices of Accord Party. As much as Senator Teslim's reconciliation process is said to have been put in place, all is not well in the All Progressive Congress as imposition of various individuals on the party is gradually leading APC in Oyo State to implosion.

X-RAYING THE AFTERMATH

Imposition in political parties especially that of candidates has become a tradition and culture practiced by every political parties in Nigeria which Oyo State is never an exception. Infact, every political parties' internal democracy is faulty and at a brink of turning the democratic setting of the country into chaos. We have reached a stage where leaders sit down at party's secretariat or somewhere to send names of candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This has left our democracy unclad and prone to many atrocities. What an abuse to our democracy!

Unarguably, the imposition of candidates due to lack of political party's internal democracy is the chief root of country's development problem, leadership, economic and social ills. Also, when candidates who felt short-changed in their original political party primaries cross-carpet to another political party only to be given opportunity to compete for elective posts or offered attractive and valuable appointments over the hardworking and loyal old political party members, it often breeds frustration and bad blood within political parties, which by extension threatens the nation’s democracy.

Conclusively, imposition of candidates on members of political party has drastically reduced the belief in a political party's internal democracy and creating more avenue and reason to be apolitical because of the general belief that everything will be ruled in favour of those whom the party leaders have are interested in. As both APC and PDP continue to lick their sore wounds, the game ahead of 2023 now focuses more on who has the wherewithal to manage its different post primary election crises.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT EXTRACT

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HOODLUMS AND THEIR INCESSANT GANGSTERISM IN OYO TOWN, A DEMAND FOR URGENT INTERVENTION

When silence is no more golden it turn to cowardness - Anonymous

Inhabitant of Oyo town have been experiencing a serious denial of peaceful living and economic well-being for good number of days now, and hitherto. The menace which is unconnected from the life-threatening hooliganism and vandalization of properties by the so called Hoodlums in the town. These illicit acts are no longer novel as these set of people from certain areas of the town have become notorious figures already.

The state of things in our dear town is not what we grown up to meet. Oyo town constitute the most peaceful and well coordinated part of the state over the years but not quite long it has become a town where priority is given to Mobs activities which has deteriorated Oyo Development.

The hoodlums attack for some days now are coming in another dimension which give room for set of miscreant to take over the major areas and commercial centers in the town.This however has affected the business activities and apparently the Mobs are using the avenue to rob and vandalize private and public properties.

Overtime, some of these guys had been arrested but to our surprises they will be realesed back in a short time.
The issue before the town is above what the community police, operation burst and local vigilante can handle, these gangs are much in number which varies from one community to another E. G (Iseke, Apaara, Ilaka and some other new areas are in the town), they operate with various equipment like Guns, cutlasses, axe, knifes etc.
The intervention of the community leaders had been fruitless over time which had make everyone to be looking on to God for help.
The act of this guys had generate lot of issues within the town, nobody is ready to look up to their faces when ever they started there war within the Constituency.
We know that only the government can intervene in this ongoing crisis within

This Letter was Dated Back to 6th of July 2020 on the Deplorable Condition of Roads in Oyo. OWODE Roads has been Completed while the other Roads remain in a Deplorable Condition. The letter was recieve from by OYSROMA Boss who is Also a Son of the Soil, Honourable Kamil Akinlabi.Till date most of those Roads are in a Deplorable Condition s.

We at SDAP Has done Our parts and we will keep Doing it. History will absolves us All.

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