Group Warns Against Plot to Re-Enact Agbalajobi/Sarumi Scenario in Ekiti APC.

Group Warns Against Plot to Re-Enact Agbalajobi/Sarumi Scenario in Ekiti APC.

The Oyebanji Street Vanguard (OSV), a grassroots mobilization group in Ekiti State, has warned against attempts by some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to re-enact the political crisis that rocked Lagos State during the 1991 contest between Professor Femi Agbalajobi and Chief Dapo Sarumi.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the group cautioned party members making “inflammatory and unguided” remarks against the National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru. The group described the attacks as “despicable and condemnable,” stressing that such actions were indirectly targeted at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the leader of the ruling party.

The OSV recalled how the rivalry between Agbalajobi and Sarumi over the Social Democratic Party (SDP) ticket in Lagos State led to the disqualification of both aspirants, paving the way for Yomi Edu to emerge as the candidate. The division, the group noted, eventually contributed to the victory of late Sir Michael Otedola of the National Republican Convention (NRC) as governor.

“We must not allow history to repeat itself in Ekiti. Any clandestine attempt to create an Agbalajobi/Sarumi deadlock here is a dead on arrival mission,” the statement read.

The group emphasized that the APC remains the platform of progress for the people of Ekiti and urged party loyalists to uphold respect for the President, the party’s national leadership, and its representatives.

“The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria deserves respect. Our great party, the APC, deserves respect. Every genuine member must imbibe and uphold the supremacy of the party,” OSV stated.

Reaffirming Ekiti’s cultural values, the group added: “We are known for the ethos of Omoluabi as a people, and we must ensure we display this at all times.”