The pre-congress briefing, which was to hold at the Oke-Ado, Ibadan state secretariat of the party, later snowballed into violence as many people, including son of late leader of the party- Alhaji Lamidi Adesina, Adedapo Lam-Adesina was attacked by sponsored thugs.
A top party chieftain, who preferred anonymity, revealed that “Ajimobi is looking for every means to get his bidding done. What really happened was that he sees himself as the all-knowing. Few weeks before the congress, he had told the national secretariat of our party that there was no division within the party. He was quoted as telling them not to bring more than the needed 9477 forms that they were going to do affirmation. He didn’t tell anybody about the plan when he returned to Ibadan. The other group knew they were going to contest against an incumbent but didn’t know Ajimobi’s loyalists were not going to obtain forms.
“Attempts by the governor and his men to get the committee members do their bidding fell on deaf ears as the 7-man committee remained adamant. The congress members later gave forms to those with payment tellers on Friday. And on Saturday, the pre-congress briefing was later disrupted as a popular Ibadan High Chief came loaded with thugs. Members of the Unity Forum, it was learnt, later went to the Police headquarters, Eleiyele to brief the police and the press. They later came for the reconvened meeting and congress, which was suppose to hold on Saturday, was adjourned to Sunday.
“Ordinarily, those with forms should have been declared winners as they had no opponents. The congress went ahead. The forms could not be submitted on Sunday and they were asked to come on Friday. In fact, Ajimobi, the party and the security agencies confirmed the congress to be successful. Meanwhile, Ajimobi didn’t stop lobbying the congress members to put it in their report that affirmation was done in Oyo. That is illogical. How could you have done affirmation when members of the other group purchased forms? When he couldn’t get the congress members to buy into the idea, he allegedly threatened that if they declare anything contrary, that he may not be able to control the aftermath. That was why the committee members didn’t declare any result.
“As I talk to you, Ajimobi hasn’t stopped lobbying top chieftains of the party to safe him from disgrace. He wants them to write in their report that the committee did affirmation in the state,” the source added.
