Tinubu
Stakeholders in Ekiti State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have been meeting with a view to forging a common front that will return the progressives to the front burner position in the state.
Party faithful who met recently at the Ikere country home of Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua, former governor of the old Ondo State, comprising the present Ondo and Ekiti States, lamented the self-inflicted pains they have caused upon themselves as a result of lack of internal democracy and cohesion resulting in the nose-diving fortune of the party lately. They however expressed their absolute trust in the leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, both at the regional and national levels of APC.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting convened by Evangelist Olumilua, party faithful observed that their problem in the state was as a result of the leadership problems which they suffered and still suffering after the party lost the gubernatorial election on 21st June 2014.
This, they said, could not have been the case but for the inability of the three former governors, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Engr. Segun Oni and the immediate past governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to form a common front to give the party the desired leadership and sense of direction.
“Consequent upon this leadership problem, the party became directionless and groups and caucuses started to emerge, each group with the sole aim of finding ways of bringing life into the party again,” members said, adding that the lack of cohesion greatly affected the fortune of the party because the party had been badly factionalised.
It was also noted that the party executive at the state levels could not provide necessary leadership because it was suffering from legitimacy problems arising from the imposition by the leaders who had already abandoned the party.
“Arising from this state of confusion, the party now became a serial loser of elections in Ekiti State in governorship elections, presidential elections, Senatorial elections, House of Representatives elections and House of Assembly elections were serially lost without winning any of the electoral constituencies.
”Ordinarily, this should not have been, since Ekiti is known for its progressive leaning ever since the earlier days of partisan politics.
“But having convinced ourselves that there are problems and divisions within the party in Ekiti State, we have resolved to shun any form of recriminations, as this is not time to apportion blames, and to forge a unity. Hence, we should embrace sacrifices of all sorts and all useful opinions must be considered in our efforts to regain our lost glory in Ekiti state. ”
Following this development, some patriotic stakeholders in the party have approached the former Governor of old Ondo State, and a chieftain of the party, His Excellency Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua to rise to the challenge and come out of his retirement to provide a required leadership.
They said ”We are therefore happy that the former governor heeded our call and started consultation with the leadership of the various groups/caucuses within the party with a view to bringing them together, so that the party could come back to life.
”Part of the effort of His Excellency, Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua was that he reached out to the three former Governor’s but he could not succeed in bringing them to a meeting. Olumilua also consulted with the APC Elders’ Forum in the State who welcomed the idea and game him their blessings to continue with his effort at uniting the party.”
Part of the resolutions at the last meeting was to express satisfaction and appreciation to Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua, being a former progressive governor and support him to continue with the peace moves, applying his wisdom and sense of patriotism to bring every group together while all members should pursue all goals that will give a re-birth in order to rebuild the party and return the spirit of camaraderie, wherein everybody was his or her brothers’ keeper.
It was also resolved that all groups should come together to provide a united and veritable platform for the party. The meeting recognized all the remaining three former Governors as leaders and requested them to support the effort of His Excellency, Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua to rejuvenate the party and to bring it back to its pre-eminent position in Ekiti State.
Those who were present at the last reconciliation meeting include members from Action Group, Justice Forum, Bibire Group and Restoration Group as well as other members of the party who claimed not to belong to any group.
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