By Ola Ajayi

Ibadan—AS preparation for the local government election in Oyo State, fixed for next month shot up, no fewer than 900 aspirants of the ruling All Progressives Congress are vying for both the councillorship and chairmanship positions.

Already, the aspirants have been screened in their various senatorial districts and local governments.

Though, some chieftains of the party had raised alarm few weeks ago that Governor Abiola Ajimobi wanted to impose his own loyalists as chairmen and councillors at the expense of supporters of the former governor Lamidi Adesina, the governor had approved the conduct of primaries that will produce candidates for the positions.

Vanguard gathered that about 300 are jostling for the chairmanship positions in the 33 local government areas, while 600 others are eyeing the councillor-ship seats in various wards.

While speaking with Vanguard yesterday, one of the contestants said the screening was done secretly and it went peacefully adding that so far the process has been fair and that they are all awaiting the final reports of the committee that conducted the screening.

He said the aspirants were screened according to their senatorial districts.

According to him, aspirants for the chairmanship positions from Oyo South senatorial district were screened at Ibadan North Local government secretariat, while those from Oyo North senatorial district were screened at Iseyin and the aspirants from Oyo Central were screened at Akinyele Local Government.

Speaking on the issue with Vanguard yesterday in a telephone interview, the state Chairman of the party, Chief Akin Oke said so far, the party leadership has been very fair to all the aspirants.

“The screening of aspirants have come and gone. The process has so far been fair and credible. What we are waiting for is the reports of the committee that conducted the screening. “It is after the screening that aspirants will know whether they are cleared or not. After this, the primary will be conducted in the party”, he said.