Following unconfirmed reports making the rounds that Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and his Ogun State counterpart, Ibikunle Amosun stand the risk of receiving sanctions from the All Progressive Congress, APC over suspected anti party activities, the party has reacted, reports Trumpeta.
The unfavorable outcome of APC primaries which failed to favour favourites of the two governors saw their allies dump the ruling party for other platforms forcing them to publicly indicate interest to support their acolytes in other parties other than the APC.
While the candidates of Amosun went to APM, those of Okorocha including his son in-law and adopted candidate of his political group moved en masse into the Action Alliance, fuelling speculations that they affected governors risk losing their Senatorial contest ticket and further sanctions.
However in a reaction credited to the party’s spokesman, Malam Lanre Isaa-Onilu, said that the party is not in a hurry to take decisions adding that the NWC would wait for the outcome of the Peace Committee sent to the various zones for reconciliation.
Trumpeta recalls that a Peace and Reconciliation Committee set up by the NWC led by Kano State Governor; Ganduje was in Owerri to meet the two factions battling for the soul of Imo APC. The committee comprising Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state and Senator Godswill Akpabio met with the groups at different locations in Owerri
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, while acknowledging that these developments were inimical to its interest, insisted that party would not yield to calls for the withdrawal of senatorial tickets handed to Okorocha and Amosun, just as it would not relent in efforts to keep the peace in the party.
According to him: “Just two weeks ago, we put in place six reconciliation committees for each geopolitical zone, and they are still at work, and so we would be preempting them when we know that the calibre of people we have put together is good enough to bring about lasting peace, and to reconcile aggrieved members across the country.
“It would be too early to start taking action against anyone since the activities of these people also emanated from issues surrounding the primaries. We need to allow the committees to do their work. We understand such actions to mean anti-party activities no doubt, but we just have to give the committees the chance, perhaps, by the end of the exercise all these issues would have been resolved. If after their assignment we still find any member carrying out any activity that suggests undermining the interest of the APC, or compromising our objectives, the Constitution of the party provides for actions to take,” he said.
The spokesperson continued: “Our world view is that every man has one vote and everybody is equal before the law. And in the application of our rules, there would be no fear or favour, but our main focus is reconciliation and we are very hopeful that at the end of the day, there would be no need for any punitive action.
“What this party would not tolerate is a situation where somebody would say he is in the APC, but works surreptitiously or openly against the party. If we have good evidence that anybody would likely compromise the interest of the party anywhere, the party would look at it critically. And the rules would be applied.”
Asked whether the fortunes of the party would be affected in Imo and Ogun States over the gale of defection, Issa-Onilu noted: “What we do know is that Nigerians appreciate justice, resent impunity. Experience in Imo shows what we did made APC to be the darling party of the people. At the end of the day, it would be one vote, one person. We would rather have 10, 000 market women, 10, 000 mechanics, 5, 000 bricklayers supporting us, than subjecting all of these people to injustice just to please one person.”
