Politics
‘Killer has joined APC’ – Divergent reactions trail Aregbesola’s comment
Divergent reactions have trailed the comments of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola who had said killers have joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State.
Aregbesola, who posted on his Twitter handle after he revalidated his membership of the APC on Friday, in Ilesa, Osun State, said “Though the constitution allows everyone to register as a member of any political party, even if they are suspects, murderers, character assassinators etc, but those who constitute the majority of the party membership must represent the core values of the party.
“There must be a clear distinction between jolly good fellows and fair-weather friends who will still leave our party when they sense a better opportunity elsewhere. In associating with individuals, who you are, your character and world view must come to play.”
The former governor of Osun State was also seen in another video, saying that “Murderer has registered in APC and the party constitution cannot deny such a person. We will not allow anyone to step on the grave of Chief Bola Ige to rise.”
This is coming barely a week after Senator Iyiola Omisore, a former deputy governor under Chief Bisi Akande, registered as a member of the APC in his ward in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Omisore contested against Governor Gboyega Oyetola during the 2018 governorship election, under the Social Democratic Party (SDP), in Osun State.
He later supported the APC at the re-run of the governorship election which led to the emergence of Gboyega Oyetola, the APC’s candidate in the poll.
Omisore was a suspect in the murder of a former Attorney-General, Bola Ige.
He was arrested by the then Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun, after which he was removed from office to face trial for the alleged murder of Bola Ige.
Series of reactions have followed the statement of the former governor, Aregbesola, with some people describing it as excessive and unwarranted.
Reacting to Aregbesola’s statement, a former minority leader of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Akinwale Akinwole said the ex-governor should wake up from his slumber and face the reality that Omisore has come to stay in the APC.
The ex-lawmaker added that Aregbesola should stop being jealous of Omisore because he’s a politician to compete with in Osun, saying the calibre of people Omisore is bringing into the party is top-notch.
Akinwale said Aregbesola should stop feeling threatened because Omisore has come and will expose all Aregbesola’s spoiler game against the reelection of Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
In the same vein, the state Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, (NNPP), Tosin Odeyemi, on Monday, berated Aregbesola over his statement which according to him, could provoke political crisis in the state, urging the Minister to act like a former Governor of the state and allow peace reign.
The NNPP chairman said, “It is unfortunate that while the teeming populace of the state are still battling economic crisis due to COVID-19, the ruling party is towing the path of violence as it allows its factional crisis to snowball into a public warfare.
“It is also unfortunate that the former Governor and now Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola can allow sentiment to take over him to make statements capable of heating up the polity unnecessarily.”
Similarly, Aregbesola, on Monday, declared that nobody could displace him from the APC in the state, adding that his pedigree would be difficult for anyone to achieve.
In a statement signed by his spokesperson, Sola Fasure, he insisted, “It will be difficult for those who lack my pedigree to displace me in the party in the state. Since my emergence in Osun on the Oranmiyan platform 17 years ago, and with others, we fought the agents of darkness and regression and firmly consolidated the party in the state.
“It is part of the democratic process for all kinds of people, especially from the PDP and other parties, even those with questionable and unedifying past, to cross into the progressive, people-centred party. However, members have a moral duty to ensure that such elements do not occupy leadership positions and use it to subvert and derail the party. We must take into cognisance the concept of internal democracy in the party.
“You all remember that our leader, late Chief Bola Ige led all his life for a compassionate government, commitment to the good of the majority and ideas that would bring good life, happiness, progress and security to the people. You must be conscious of those who continue to dance on Ige’s grave and avoid anything that would dishonour the late stateman’s memory.”
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep Femi Gbajabiamila has said for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the progressive movement to survive in Nigeria, there must be a deliberate and effective system of leadership recruitment to identify and prepare people, especially the youth, to occupy the important offices of party and government.
Speaking at the 2021 Progressives Youth Conference of the APC in Abuja on Monday, Gbajabiamila said the party needed to identify competent people both at home and in the Diaspora and bring them on board to be “effective champions of progressivism in the country and in government.”
He said this was the practice all over the world, especially in countries where democracy had developed over the years.
The Speaker also said translating good manifestos into policies by political parties remained the foundation for achievements.
“Political party manifestos are a statement of vision and vision is the foundation of all achievements. For a nation such as ours to succeed, we must first define a common vision that will inspire us, bring us together, and provide the focus that allows us to persevere through the inevitable difficult times,” Gbajabiamila.
He noted further: “Political parties exist to mobilise public support to form a government and to superintend over the affairs of the state. To be successful in this regard, political parties must reflect in their membership, the broad spectrum of the society it seeks to govern.
As is the case with all other contractual documents, the commitments contained in the party manifesto are the basis upon which the party’s record in government will be measured and its leaders will be assessed both in real-time and in the judgment of history. As it has been throughout history, so also will it be for us in the All Progressives Congress (APC) as we too will answer for what we have done with our time in government.”
Gbajabiamila also said the most important factor that determined whether a political party in government would succeed in implementing its manifesto would be the process by which the party arrived at the manifesto in the first instance.
Some aggrieved members of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun on Tuesday staged a protest to express their displeasure over alleged imposition of candidate ahead of the July 24 council polls in the state.
The APC members from Abeokuta-North Local Government Area staged the protest at the premises of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) at Oke-Ilewo in Abeokuta.
The protesters said though they still hold their loyalty to Governor Dapo Abiodun, they were opposed to “the choice of a wrong candidate in our area.”
The members frowned at and rejected the alleged imposition of Abdusalam Ayorinde by the APC leadership as the party’s flagbearer for Abeokuta-North council area at the forthcoming polls.
The leader of the group, Babatunde Olajumoke, who addressed journalists, said that the people’s choice was Tajudeen Ishola, whom he said, had been identifying with the people over the years.
Saidat Akinlade, another APC chieftain in the area, explained that the chances of winning the polls in the area is brighter with the candidature of Ishola.
Mrs Akinlade, who restated the loyalty of the members for Gov. Dapo Abiodun, noted that some “selfish” party leaders might have misguided the governor on the choice.
She called on Mr Abiodun to invite Mr Ishola and other party leaders from the local government area and the state for a dialogue on the matter.
“We want the governor to call us for dialogue and hear our own agitations so that the party would continue to record landslide victories in the polls in the area,” she said.
(NAN)
Senate President Ahmad Lawan has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) may face challenges after the exit of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
Lawan gave the warning on Monday night in a speech delivered to close the First Progressives Youth Conference 2021 which held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
He said the party must begin to plan ahead to sustain the goodwill and legacies of the present administration.
He noted that by doing so, the party would be able to retain its appeal and nationalistic outlook beyond the 2023 general elections.
He said, “Whether we like it or not, the truth is, President Muhammadu Buhari remains the person with the bulk of the support we get across this country in APC.
“[And] when he leaves, he would still have some roles, but I daresay that it is after he leaves office that APC will face its challenge.
“Yes, we have to know our value then, and the value of APC presently is APC minus President Muhammadu Buhari. Whatever it is, that is the value of APC.
So, we need to do a lot to build this party, and we need our youths more than ever before for them to continue with this legacy that this administration has established all over the country.
“That means we have to see our selves as brothers and sisters regardless of where we come from.
Our tribe or even ethnic group, our religious persuasion should not matter when it comes to uniting this country.
“[And] as APC, the onus is on us to provide security and an economy that will bring growth and development to give people the kind of life that is meaningful.
We can ask others to join us, but we are the ones to do it, so we need all hands on deck.”
He lamented that the plan of the APC to deliver on most of its promises to Nigerians was stalled in the first tenure of the President Buhari administration as a result of the feud between the National Assembly and the Executive arm of government.
“When we were voted in 2019 as leaders of the National Assembly, we were conscious of one thing, that our mandate that was given to us by Nigerians in 2015 had suffered disruption and dislocation.”
For four years (2015 to 2019), our government could not perform optimally because of the then crisis between the parliament – the National Assembly – and the Executive arm of government.
“So, APC had already lost four very important years. And, that was supposed to be the years that we should have convinced Nigerians that they took the right decision by voting out a PDP administration in 2015.
“What are our options? We are one party in different arms of government. Our policies are supposed to be the same. Our programmes and projects are supposed to be the same, whether you’re in the legislature or the executive.
So long as you are APC, that is your programme and project, that is your government and you are bound to make it succeed.
“So, we took the conscious decision of working in harmony that our relationship must be characterized by consultation, coordination, partnership and mutual respect, that we must succeed in the second tenure (2019 – 2023).
“Otherwise, in 2023, many would like to see our backs if you can’t provide the services expected of you in your first four years.
And] you to change and do better, why would anybody give you eight years?
“So, we felt we have an obligation to Nigerians who voted for us, to our people in APC and to our country, that we must work in such a fashion and manner that government is able to deliver services to Nigerians.”
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