BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Some members of the All Progressives Congress in Irepodun South Local Council Development Area of Osun State, on Thursday, protested the fourth chairmanship ambition of the council boss’, Kamalideen Oloyede.
They alleged that Oloyede has been ruling the LCDA since its creation about seven years ago and asked him to give others, who are also qualified and capable, a chance to administer the council.
The Point gathered that Oloyede, popularly known as Jay Kay, had obtained intention form to contest the chairmanship position of the Irepodun Local Government Area in the council poll slated for October 15.
However, politicians and other indigenes of the council marched peacefully to the palace of their traditional ruler, Elerin of Erin-Osun in protest against Oloyede’s fourth chairmanship ambition.
The aggrieved members who had earlier converged at the party Secretariat located in front of AUD Primary School, Erin-Osun, marched through the streets of the town and later terminated the protest at the Elerin palace, Oba Yusuf Omoloye Oyegbodun II.
Armed with placards with various inscriptions such as “4th Term is an Abomination”, “Erin-Osun Youths Say No To JK 4th Term Ambition”, “Mr Governor Must Remove Him From The Race”, among others, the protesters insisted that Oloyede had ruled for three terms in office alleging that he had recently boasted to be the governor’s anointed candidate for the chairmanship office.
The protesting party members alleged that they have it on good authority that the party leadership was allegedly planning to impose Oloyede on them for the fourth term which they vowed to resist.
Addressing journalists, one of the stakeholders in the council, Opeyemi Yusuf, said the protest was to publicly condemn the alleged endorsement of Oloyede by the governor of the state and the party leadership in the state.
He stated that the people of the local government were not happy with the situation adding that thousands of APC members are loyal to the present government under the leadership of Governor Gboyega Oyetola, hence the need to give another person a chance to take the mantle of the leadership in the LCDA.
According to him, “we are here protesting because for a very long time, we have been patient enough on so many issues. One of those issues is that, since the creation of the Irepodun South LCDA, only Oloyede has been allowed to lead as the Chairman of the council.
“It’s not a big deal for someone to be in office for three terms but the big deal is when someone is unable to unify the party. It is a big deal when someone is in office and there is no considerable level of development within the community
“It’s a big deal when someone is in party and in the position of leadership and all you see is division within the party.”
Also speaking, another member of the party, Alhaja Ola, said there was the need for a change in the leadership position in the LCDA, adding that, “people have been patient because of the love they have for Mr. Governor. In fact, if not because of the love we have for Governor Gboyega Oyetola, many people would have left the party with the way party have been running.
“The incumbent chairman of this local government said that Mr. Governor said he must return. We try as much as possible to get in touch with the office of Mr Governor and we got to know that he (Oloyede) lied.
“We are using this medium to say that most people tell lies using Mr Governor’s name when ever they want to occupy political offices. We don’t want him to return to that office and our demand must be respected,” she said.