Controversy over the zoning of the ticket for Osun West Senatorial District is now creating rumpus in the district’s chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the2023 general election.

It was learnt that there is pressure on the leadership of the party to zone the ticket to either Ejigbo in Ejigbo Local Government Area; Ede in Ede North Local Government Area or Ikire in Ayedaade Local Government Area, if it must emerge victorious in the coming election.

Contrary to the demand of members, the leadership of the party were said to have agreed to zone the senatorial ticket to Iwo in Iwo Local Government Area of the state, the hometown of the current senator, Adelere Oriolowo.

The pressure groups are seeking to deny Oriolowo the ticket to return to the Senate. The long internal agitations was made known to the public on Sunday when members of APC in the senatorial district protested against the zoning formula adopted for the Osun West Senatorial ticket in the 2023 general elections.

It was gathered that during a meeting, which was held in Iwo, members of APC attacked leadership of the party in the district for zoning of the party’s senatorial ticket to the town. The leadership of the party in the area, it was learnt, summoned a meeting of stakeholders in the district, comprising 10 local government council areas and was attended by the incumbent senator, as well as those contesting for the ticket with the supporters.

The meeting which was held at the federal constituency office, Agbowo, Iwo, had barely started when a crisis erupted over the elders’ decision zoning the ticket to Iwo. In his opening remark, the party’s senatorial Chairman of the district, Hon. Oluremi Omolaoye informed the gathering that the Senatorial apex body has agreed to retain the Senatorial ticket in Iwo.

“To ensure that all political interests are properly factored in, the apex body of the party in her meeting held on the 23rd of April 2022 unanimously resolved as follows: that the Senate seat of this district for the 2023 election is herein zoned to Iwo Federal Constituency,” he said.

Following the announcement, supporters of other aspirants from other zones started shouting: “Ikire, Ikire”; “Ejigbo, Ejigbo,” Ede, Ede” during which the meeting became unruly and members started charging towards the high table. (New Telegraph)

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