Chairman, Oyo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Isaac Omodewu, on Saturday, inaugurated a 24-man reconciliation committee led by former Senator Olufemi Lanlehin with a mandate to pacify all aggrieved members and unify the party.
Lanlehin heads the committee which has as members Alhaji Abu Gbadamosi, who had emerged as factional chairman to Omodewu’s chairmanship; Chief Timothy Jolaoso; Honourable Lasun Adebunmi; Dr Ameed Ayinde; Mr Oladayo Lawal; Chief Badmos Bukola; Sunday Ajadi among others.
At the inauguration held at the party’s state Secretariat, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Omodewu added that the committee is expected to reach out to those presently in disagreement with the party and bring them back into the Oyo APC fold.
Preaching the message that party men disagree to agree, Omodewu added that the committee’s task is targeted at having the Oyo APC as one family all focused on winning the 2023 governorship election in the state.
Omodewu said: “The simple objective of the committee is to reconcile, to bring back everyone back into the fold. We are all progressives. We believe we disagree to agree. We are family and we will continue to be a family in this party.
Asked about the timeline given to the committee for the assignment, Omodewu added: “The assignment is ongoing until we choose our governor, and win the election in the year 2023. We are the same body. We will be a family together and forever. The committee will brief us in the next two weeks of the progress so far.”
On the choice of the committee chairman for the assignment, Omodewu said Lanlehin boasted of the requisite knowledge, and experience and was a seasoned politician to carry out the assignment.
Speaking after the committee was inaugurated, Lanlehin assured that the committee will work to speak to aggrieved party members for them not to abandon a party they built and return to the party.
He added that the committee is also guided and focused on the task of ensuring the victory of the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Teslim Folarin in the 2023 governorship election in the state.
Lanlehin said: “I have been given the duty of getting everybody back into the party. People have right to be angry after losing out one way or the other. But, this is a house we jointly built, so we have to jointly complete the house and live in it. We appreciate the Chairman for giving us the honour to do this for the party.”
Some other members of the reconciliation committee are Chief S. O. Olaoye; Balogun Oyetola; Mrs Funke Olayanju; Mr Adewale Adepoju; Kakako Ayinla; Dr Adepeju Esan; Mr Olorode Samuel; Mr Aderemi Sadiq and Alhaji Tajudeen Olanite as secretary of the committee.
