We are not convinced Oyo council election will be held in Feb 2017 —Ladoja

FORMER governor of Oyo State and leader of Accord Party, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, on Saturday, said the All Progressives Congress-led government was not committed to conducting council election despite the announcement of February 11, 2017, as the date for the polls.

Ladoja, who spoke during the state congress of Accord held at the Green Springs Hotel in Ibadan, explained that his skepticism about the date stemmed from failure of earlier promises on the election.

Elected at the congress were: Alhaji Wahab Oyelade (state chairman); Dr Nureni Adeniran, (state secretary); Mrs YetundeAjibola (Women Leader); Akeem Olatunji (Publicity Secretary); Mr Adekola Adeoye (Youth Leader); Nasiru Adeniyi (Organising Secretary); Pastor Oladimeji Orolade (Treasurer) and others.

The Osi Olubadan, however, expressed the readiness of Accord to challenge and defeat the APC at the polls anytime the election holds assuring the people of the state that his party would meet their aspiration for a better government.

But at a parallel congress held at the Olubadan Stadium by a splinter group from the party, another set of state officers, led by Dauda Lawal, was said to have been elected.

Chairman of the parallel congress, Adejumobi Ademola, said he relied on the authority bestowed on him by the national headquarters of the party in line with the party’s constitution.

He admonished all party members on the need to chart the way forward for the party in accordance with the party’s constitution.

Making veiled reference to the parallel congress, Ladoja said: “It is difficult to choose 20 people from our registered members who are in excess of 200, 000. Everybody cannot be elected as executive member this is what those who are aggrieved must realise and retrace their step.”