THE Oyo State chapter of the newly-registered All Progressives Congress (APC) has been hit by a crisis over a rally planned for Mapo Hall, Ibadan, at 9am tomorrow.

A statement by a group of “joint stakeholders” of the new party, including chairmen and leaders of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and many ACN leaders distanced the stakeholders from the rally organised by another group reportedly pro-governor Abiola Ajimobi.

Rising from a meeting of the APC joint stakeholders in Ibadan on Wednesday and Thursday, the stakeholders said their decision was in deference to the directive from the national headquarters of the party that all rallies should be put on hold.

The stakeholders urged members of the party in the state not to participate in the rally as doing so would be counter-productive and amount to disregard for the directive from the national headquarters.

A communiqué of the stakeholders forum signed by Mr. Adebayo Shittu (acting chairman and CPC governorship candidate in the 2011 elections), and Chief Caleb Oyaniyi, the acting secretary, also queried the slating of the rally for Sunday when “Christian members and supporters of the new party should be in church seeking the face of God.”

Those whose signatures also appear in the communiqué are Alhaji Abideen Oladimeji (defunct CPC State Chairman); Senator Olufemi Lanlehin (Oyo South Senatorial District); Honourable Kola Olabiyi (Iseyin, Kajola, Itesiwaju, Iwajowa Federal Constituency); Sharafadeen Alli (leader in defunct ACN and chairman, Odu’a Group of Companies); Honourable Kazeem Adedeji (leader in defunct ACN); Honourable Sola Osotoye (Secretary, defunct ANPP), and Pastor Adetunji Adeniyi (Assistant Secretary, defunct CPC).

In another development, a billboard of the new party (APC) erected at Molete, Ibadan South-East Local Government Area, was on Friday defaced by suspected hoodlums.

Saturday Tribune gathered from eyewitnesses around the area that the board, meant to serve as an awareness-creating object for the new party, was vandalised in broad daylight.

Several calls made to the former ACN chairman, Chief Akin Oke, to obtain his comments did not go through.

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