Politics

Osun APC members protest, demand chairman’s sacking

Published

2 years ago

August 3, 2022

Osun APC members protest

Hundreds of members of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State stormed the streets of Osogbo on Tuesday to demand the removal of the party’s state chairman, Gboyega Famoodun, following the party’s defeat in the state governorship election on July 16.

However, according to a statement issued by Famoodun’s media adviser, Kola Olabisi, the protesters were supporters of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, whom he accused of working against Oyetola in the election.

The protesters, led by Oluwaseun Abosede, chanting “restructuring,” took off from Odiolowo Area and marched through Olaiya Junction to Ogo-Oluwa Area within Osogbo metropolis, before heading to the state House of Assembly, where they were received by the Speaker, Timothy Owoeye.

Armed with placards and banners with different inscriptions such as “Restructure APC now,” “APC lost Osun because of Famoodun and Oyetola,” “Osun APC needs restructuring,” among others, the protesters were denied entry into the party secretariat by armed police operatives.

Speaking to newsmen at the entrance of the APC state secretariat in Ogo-Oluwa, Abosede insisted that mismanagement of the party affairs by Famoodun, who he accused that sidelining Aregbesola and other critical stakeholders in the party, caused the defeat suffered by the party at the governorship poll.

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He said, “The issues, to summarise them, boil down to glaring mismanagement of the party by Governor Gboyega Oyetola and the party chairman, Gboyega Famoodun. The chairman has totally demonstrated lack of capacity to manage the party and this was reflected in the result of the July 16 governorship election.

“Under the leadership of both Governor Oyetola and Famoodun, the APC degenerated and assumed the dangerous trend of having factions, which later caused catastrophe and grief. Governor Oyetola, right from inception, embarked on a divisive move which transmuted the party into two parts.”

After receiving the letter containing their demands, Owoeye assured them of his readiness to take the necessary steps to reposition the party.

Famoodun, while reacting to the protest, described the action of the protesters as shameful, callous, primitive, selfish, wicked, misplaced and inconsiderate.

The APC chairman also accused the protesters of working for the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, at the poll and urged them to seek patronage from the person they supported at the poll.

Famoodun said, “When I heard that the supporters of the immediate past governor of our state, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, were protesting, I thought my memory was playing me wrong as they cannot insulate themselves from whatever might be the current plight of the APC in Osun State.

“Assuming but not conceding that there are challenges within the party, protesters should be told that they lack the moral right to either suggest or offer any likely solution as it is on record that they massively and collectively worked against Oyetola, the APC governorship candidate in the just-concluded election in line with their series of threats.

“One would have thought that the appropriate place for them to canvas for the restructuring of any party is Senator Ademola Adeleke’s Ede country home, which they voted for with flaunted pride.”

PUNCH

Related Topics:Chairman Osun APC protest sacking

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Politics

Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore

Published

2 days ago

November 13, 2024

Trends Admin

Peter Obi and Omoyele Sowore

Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore

Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, recently shared his reasons for not forming a coalition with Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s candidate in the same election.

In his appearance on the Honest Bunch podcast, Sowore asserted that, in his view, Obi is similar to other Nigerian politicians, describing him as “better at packaging.”

Sowore explained that his own journey in politics began long before Obi gained national recognition, emphasizing his dedication to advocating for systemic change in Nigeria.

During the podcast, co-hosted by Nedu, Husband Material, Deity Cole, and Ezinne, Sowore highlighted his belief in challenging the status quo, which he feels differs significantly from Obi’s approach.

Sowore said, “Before you discovered Peter Obi, I was already running for president. All these shouts about Peter Obi… He just knows how to package. Anyone can do it.

“If I form a coalition with Peter Obi, I will be going against what I have always stood for, which is that I will never support a Nigerian leader who has held any political office — whether at the federal, state, or local level — if I consider them non-performing.

“It’s the same reason I would never have joined hands with Atiku. And the Peter Obi you’re talking about was a vice-presidential candidate to Atiku when I was a presidential candidate in 2019.

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“So, what are we talking about? There is no lesser evil in my book. If you are evil, you are evil. If you are good, you are good. I have a general disdain for non-performance.”

He added that there is no such thing as “emotional attachment” in his dictionary.

“There was a friend of mine who kept saying, he doesn’t care if Peter Obi is Igbo, but that it is the turn of the Igbos. But it is beyond that; I have a natural disdain for poor performance,” he explained.

Sowore insisted that while many may not know it, he knew Obi before and during his time as governor, and he backed him.

“I had always known and supported him and stood against his removal when (Olusegun) Obasanjo wanted to use Andy Ubah to replace him—the twists and turns then.

“However, when Peter Obi finished his term in Anambra, the question I asked him was whether he could send his child to any university he had built in Anambra—he was mute and could not respond.

“I also asked him if he could enter any hospital he built in Anambra, which he governed for eight years, even if it was for the slightest headache—there was also no response.”

Sowore went on to challenge the four anchors or any other Nigerians, saying, “If they can pack their bags and head to Anambra for a vacation.”

PUNCH Online reports that President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress recorded 8,794,726 votes in the 2023 presidential election, followed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party who secured 6,984,520 votes.

In third place, Labour Party’s Obi garnered 6,101,533 votes, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party secured 1,496,687 votes.

Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore

Politics

Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group

Published

4 days ago

November 11, 2024

Trends Admin

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group

The Arewa Consensus for Jonathan, a political group in the North, has urged former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to enter the 2027 presidential race.

Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, is widely regarded for his role in fostering democratic growth and his relatively peaceful exit from power after losing the 2015 election.
Despite his exit from politics, his name has remained a focal point in discussions about Nigeria’s future leadership.

The group’s leader, Munir Musa, who made the appeal during a press conference in Bauchi over the weekend, emphasised that Jonathan’s return to office was crucial to addressing Nigeria’s pressing economic and security challenges.

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He argued that Nigeria, grappling with severe economic downturns and rising security threats, needs a leader with Jonathan’s experience and competence to restore stability.

“The nation is at a crossroads, and we believe that Goodluck Jonathan is the right man to steer us out of the current malaise,” Musa told reporters.

He expressed confidence that Jonathan’s leadership could heal the country’s deepening wounds and usher in a new era of progress.

Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group

Politics

Afenifere, Council of Obas back Aiyedatiwa for Ondo gov

Published

4 days ago

November 11, 2024

Trends Admin

Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa

Afenifere, Council of Obas back Aiyedatiwa for Ondo gov

Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political and cultural organization, has endorsed Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State.

Sehinde Arogbofa, a prominent Afenifere leader, announced the support at the Olubaka of Oka land palace, Oba Yusuf Adebori Adeleye.

Arogbofa expressed confidence in Aiyedatiwa’s leadership and encouraged him to follow the values and legacy of Chief Adekunle Ajasin, Ondo State’s first governor. “Afenifere stands firmly behind your mandate… Strive to make Ondo State great again,” Arogbofa said.

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Oba Adeleye, speaking on behalf of traditional rulers in Akoko South West Local Government Area, also endorsed Aiyedatiwa, citing his masses-focused policies and the governor’s initiative to allocate five percent of local government funds to traditional institutions as a demonstration of his commitment to their welfare.