In order to instill discipline into the party with the aim of promoting peace, co-operation and unity in the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the state leadership of the leading opposition party has mapped out some directives that would be beneficial to the wellbeing of the party in the state.
The state chairman of the party, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, who presided over a meeting of the reinstated chairmen of the local government council areas and the APC chairmen in the local government councils rolled out some directives that would enhance promotion of perpetual peace within the party as the election year is approaching.
Lawal who met the stakeholders of the party at its state secretariat along Osogbo-Gbongan road, Ogo-Oluwa area of Osogbo, on Saturday, with the state executive officers of the party disclosed that it was wrong for some of the titled members of the party to turn themselves into instruments of division within the party in their efforts to sell their governorship aspirants.
To this effect, the state party chairman told the gathering of the local government council chairmen and party chairmen in the local government council areas that the party has outlawed any executive member of the party at all the levels of the party from coordinating for any governorship aspirants in the interest of promotion of peace and tranquility in the party.
In Lawal’s words: “Any executive member of our party at all the levels be it at the unit, ward, local government, senatorial and national is disallowed from coordinating for any governorship aspirants.
“There is need to perpetuate injection of sanity into our party. The altercations oozing out from the members of the same political family all in the guise of selling their preferred candidates are worrisome, embarrassing and less dignifying.
“Those of us who are guilty in this regard should do self-inspection with a view to turning over a new leaf as the party would not hesitate to wield a big stick on any of our members who crosses the red line about this golden directive which is meant for the fortification of our party before the next year’s governorship election.
“Let me again state here unequivocally that the party has not released the guidelines on the election and that whenever it is released, it will not be done under the table. It would be made available to everyone.
“It becomes imperative for the aspirants to call their foot soldiers and supporters to order and educate them on how important it is for them to play the game according to the rule as any recalcitrant agent may be a source of political despair to his principal.
“The cacophonous noise is too deafening and causing avoidable disaffection within the party and we would not be doing our party any good if we should close our eyes to same as it is inimical to the wellbeing of the party.
“We are going into the next year’s governorship election to win. No one is greater than the party. Whoever contravenes the directive of the party would be sanctioned. The supremacy of the party is non-negotiable. Our party has not anointed any aspirant as our candidate.
“Go home and relay the party’s directive to the affected individuals. Let’s play the game according to the rule. It is not proper for co-aspirants to engage in abusing each other and subsequently creating needless division in the party.
“Though it is necessary to point out that the copious number of the striving governorship aspirants in our party is an indication that our party is potent, healthy and truly democratic but don’t let us overstretch our luck in order to achieve our political goal of sending the ruling government packing by the way of next year’s governorship poll”, the state APC chairman counselled.
He told the stakeholders that registration of those who defected into the party and those who are still willing to cross over to the front line opposition party in the state would soon be flagged off.
