The alleged refusal of the All Progressives Congress Committee overseeing the congresses in Osun State to meet all the stakeholders sparked a peaceful protest from some aggrieved members on Friday.
The protest led by Rasheed Raji, comprised mainly youths and women.
They insisted on going to their various wards to hold congresses, against the plan by the Ileri Oluwa group, backed by the Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola to have consensus candidates for all positions.
Armed with placards with inscriptions such as, “we say no to consensus,” “Osun progressives women and youth demand for APC Congress forms,” “we say no to imposition,” among others, the protesters, who staged the protest along Osogbo/Gbongan road, said it decided to change its plan to march to the party secretariat because hoodlums had been stationed near the premises to attack them.
Addressing newsmen, Raji, said the congress committee sent had remained incommunicado since they arrived in the state.
He said, “Consensus arrangement is no longer possible in Osun. We have obtained forms but our members have not been invited to any meeting. We insist that there must be an election.”
Another group within the party called The Osun Progressives has appealed to security agencies in the state to protect its members, as the Congress holds across the state.
Chairman of the group, Lowo Adebiyi, who spoke to newsmen in Osogbo, expressed fear that some members of the group might be attacked, but hinted that all security agencies had been informed about the plan to cause mayhem.
