A directive from the leader of APC in Oyo State and its gubernatorial candidate, Senator Teslim Folarin, to the candidates of the party to cough out a princely sum of N980m has set tongues wagging in the party.
Exclusive Press gathered that Folarin, who is a three-term Senator from Oyo Central Senatorial District, has asked the party’s senatorial, House of Representatives and Assembly candidates to cough out N50m, N25m and N15m respectively.
There are fifty (50) elective positions that will be up for grabs in February and March next year, representing one guber slot, three senatorial vacancies, 14 House of Representatives seats and 32 House of Assembly.
The request was tagged as contribution towards the campaign pool fund for the party and it excludes the money the candidates will have to spend individually to prosecute elections in their various constituencies.
It was gathered that the request has not gone down well with most of the candidates of the party who consider it an avenue for their guber candidates to raise money for his own election.
A source in the party told Oyofocus that Folarin is finding it hard to find sponsors for his second guber bid on account of how he got the ticket of the party, a development that led to many leaving the party to congregate at another platform, Accord.
“I don’t know whether you are aware they call him jagba [undemocratic snatcher of ticket]. People who have money and would naturally have sponsored him are refusing to do so because they are skeptical of what the outcome of his contesting will be.
“Oyo APC is badly fractured and injured. Majority who could not stomach the impunity in the party have left to join Accord; others have joined PDP to strengthen the ruling party.
“Only God will help us in the coming elections because we have serious fears about the party making any strong showing in the elections.
