Oyo APC crisis deepens as Oluyole reconciliation meeting ends in brawl

The crisis rocking the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a fresh turn after a reconciliation meeting involving supporters of two rival camps in the Oluyole Federal Constituency reportedly ended in a physical confrontation.

The meeting, held on Monday, October 5, at Olomi School II, was convened as part of efforts to reconcile supporters of Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, the APC candidate for Oluyole Federal Constituency, and Abiodun Gbolagade, who has maintained that he won the party’s primary election.

Tensions reportedly escalated before the reconciliation session could commence, resulting in a brawl between supporters of the two camps. Some individuals were reportedly injured in the confrontation. Both camps, however, have denied responsibility for the incident.

The latest development underscores the difficulty facing the party in resolving the dispute over the Oluyole House of Representatives ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Gbolagade had earlier challenged Akande-Sadipe’s candidacy in court, insisting that he emerged from the party’s primary. He claimed that he secured 2,315 votes against Akande-Sadipe’s 33 votes and approached the Federal High Court to challenge the subsequent declaration of the incumbent as the party’s candidate.

The dispute has persisted despite broader reconciliation efforts by the Oyo APC leadership to unite aggrieved aspirants and supporters ahead of the 2027 elections.

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In August, the party’s reconciliation committee appealed to aggrieved aspirants to put their differences aside and work for the party’s interests.

There have also been recent efforts to strengthen the APC’s position in Oluyole, including the reported defection of more than 1,000 members of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) to the APC. Akande-Sadipe was among APC leaders present when the defectors were received at the party’s state secretariat in Ibadan.

The latest confrontation could therefore complicate the party’s attempts to project unity as the 2027 elections approach, particularly in a constituency where rival interests remain unresolved.

The Sadipe camp has reportedly distanced itself from the altercation and called for unity, saying disagreements arising from the primary should not determine the party’s future in Oluyole.

The incident has renewed attention on the APC’s reconciliation efforts and whether the party can resolve the underlying dispute through dialogue and the ongoing judicial process rather than allowing the disagreement to escalate further.