The crisis rocking the Allied Peoples Movement in Oyo State appears to be deepening, with the reported invitation of a prominent party chieftain, Alhaji Adebisi Aremu Olopoeyan, by the Department of State Services and other security agencies.
Olopoeyan was reportedly invited on Tuesday over allegations that he was planning to organise a protest against the Oyo State Government.
The circumstances surrounding the reported invitation remained unclear as of the time of filing this report, while it could not be immediately established whether the invitation was linked to any specific planned demonstration.
The development has added another layer to the growing disagreement within the Oyo State chapter of the APM, where disputes over leadership, candidates and internal party affairs have continued to generate controversy.
Olopoeyan has been vocal in the unfolding crisis, insisting on greater inclusion of party stakeholders and maintaining that the APM belongs to all its members.
The party chieftain had also raised concerns over the internal affairs of the party, particularly against the backdrop of a legal dispute concerning the congress that produced the party’s executive structure in the state.
The disagreement has also spilled into some local government chapters of the party.
In September, a supervisory councillor in Ido Local Government was suspended over alleged anti-party activities. Olopoeyan subsequently alleged that the action was politically motivated because of her perceived loyalty to him. The council, however, did not cite Olopoeyan in the suspension letter or state that her relationship with him was responsible for the action.
Similarly, an APM secretary in Ibadan South-West Local Government alleged that his salary was withheld because of his loyalty to Olopoeyan. The allegation had not been publicly substantiated by the council as of the time of filing this report.
With the latest reported invitation of Olopoeyan, questions have continued to emerge over the direction of the party in Oyo State, amid the series of disagreements involving its leadership and members.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from the DSS or the Oyo State Government confirming the reported invitation or stating the reason for it.