APC South-West stakeholders urge Tinubu on placement of support groups
Concerned South-West APC Stakeholders on Wednesday urged President Bola Tinubu to reward support groups with appointments in notable government establishments.
According to a press statement obtained by PERISCOPE NIGERIA which was signed by Amoo Taofeek Ayoola, which was sequel to letter written by the Secretary the Government of the Federation Senator George Akume to All Progressives Congress chapters.
The Stakeholders urged the President to remember most of them that toiled especially during the electioneering process by rewarding them with a true representative with appointment for the position of minister.
The statement partly read, “We make bold to say that we need someone as a minister from the party that will be able to carry everyone along, the person must be a listener, close to the party members, be accessible, courageous and bridge-builder from southwester state with pedigree in the party that can bring everyone together with international experience and scholastic background.
“A person who can entice the opposition to accept the leadership of Nigeria in the centre, someone that is not over ambitions in eyeing of the 2027 election, which becloud their political judgment.
“The humiliating loss of the gubernatorial election in Oyo State is the sad outcome of the shameful APC gubernatorial primaries in Oyo State.
“We recall that in the buildup to the Presidential Primaries, Mr. President visited Oyo State and categorically advised our governorship candidate candidate to apologise to those he offended and go on a mission of contrite reconciliation and peace building because of the huge numbers of people he has offended. The candidate did not heed your warning and the truth of the matter is that the public impression and perception of our candidate has not changed. We as critical stakeholders of APC in southwest State are very worried about this, as his leadership of the party in Oyo State will be counterproductive to the prospects of our party.”
FULL TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE RELEASED by *”Concerned southwest APC stakeholder”* in Oyo state through one of it stakeholder Hon Amoo Taofeek Ayoola as regards the
*RE: LETTER FROM SGF CALLING FOR NOMINATIONS FROM STATE CHAPTER OF APC FOR THE APPOINTMENTS INTO FEDERAL BOARDS AND PARASTATALS IN THE PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU ADMINISTRATION*
Ladies and gentlemen of the media and members of the APC family across southwest and Nigeria, Oyo State as a case study.
This Press Conference is addressed to:
The President and Commander-in-Chief,
Federal Republic of Nigeria
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR
Presidential Villa,
Abuja.
July, 2023
Our knowledge was drawn to a letter sent to the State Chairmen of APC in all southwest State from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) dated 27th June, 2023 which requested the state leadership of APC in the State for a nine name nomination of two person as the chairmanship nomination and seven names as members of the Boards of parastatals, agencies, institutions and government-owned companies to be submitted on or before 5th July, 2023, as consideration for appointment under the administration of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The letter which was sent to the State Chairmen of the APC in the State, specifically requested for Sen. Teslim Folarin and other stakeholders of APC in Oyo State to be involved and carried along in the nomination of the names.
However, we wish to cry out to The President of the Federal Republic and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation that, as strong APC stakeholders and leaders of the different and prominent APC party organs in the state where some of us also served in Presidential Campaign Council of Tinubu/Shettima organisation, we are totally unaware or carried along in the process of nomination and selection of the names submitted to the presidency. We have consulted some prominent leaders and elders of the party in the state who were totally sidelined and were not consulted or aware of the nomination and selection put forward by the state chairman and Sen. Teslim Folarin to the SGF office or presidency on behalf of Oyo State APC’ s stakeholders in the state.
The Presidential campaign office under the Leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have expressly stated in a meeting at the campaign office headquarter that the era of the “Monkey dey work, Baboon dey chop don pass”, this statement was re-echoed at the several campaign rallies in different states of the federation. Due to this, we cannot be part of the campaign with movement for the success and defenders of the election success in the party, and left out in the submission of names from our various state to the Federal Government. We are not in support of this list submitted because we have not been carried along in the exercise.
It is high time for APC stakeholders in all southwest state to come out boldly to defend the party in all faces, Oyo state as a case study in southwest, Nigeria, we are aware that there are different peculiarity at some state, Lagos is exceptional and also to put an end or full-stop to the handlers of the party in some state that is pulling the party backward or round-tripping all benefits of the party in the state to their selfish interests alone. This is what is endangering the acceptability of the party in some state in Nigeria.
If the list submitted could be screened very well, it will be very apparent that the same people are continually replacing themselves and befitting from the dividends of the collective efforts of the selfless majority. These are people with minimal contributions to electoral fortunes of the party but ready to share the dividends to their children and cronies that contributed almost nothing to the party. The story should not remain the same, that is why few of us left the party during the AD era and embraced the AC and ACN through the progressive actions of our able President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
As it is today, the present status of APC in some State is deplorable and in need of a remedy. That is why we need people of integrity and exemplary leadership that will be given positions that will redeem the fortunes of the Party in all States. Such people will change the retrogressive narrative and build a cohesive and strong party for development. The present list submitted to the Presidency will further damage and destroy the Party if proper checks and balancing is not put in place.
We make bold to say that we need someone as a minister from the party that will be able to carry everyone along, the person must be a listener, close to the party members, be accessible, courageous and bridge-builder from southwester state with pedigree in the party that can bring everyone together with international experience and scholastic background.
A person who can entice the opposition to accept the leadership of Nigeria in the centre, someone that is not over ambitions in eyeing of the 2027 election, which becloud their political judgment.
The humiliating loss of the gubernatorial election in Oyo State is the sad outcome of the shameful APC gubernatorial primaries in Oyo State.
We recall that in the buildup to the Presidential Primaries, Mr. President visited Oyo State and categorically advised our governorship candidate candidate to apologise to those he offended and go on a mission of contrite reconciliation and peace building because of the huge numbers of people he has offended. The candidate did not heed your warning and the truth of the matter is that the public impression and perception of our candidate has not changed. We as critical stakeholders of APC in southwest State are very worried about this, as his leadership of the party in Oyo State will be counterproductive to the prospects of our party.
We note that many of the people with him in his campaign team did not pray or welcome his success at the election. Majority of people in his campaign were there for facial appearances, ulterior motives, to eventually mock him or make money through him, they were not there genuinely.
We cautioned our leaders not to follow the path of giving party ticket to a candidate of poor electoral value but they could not listen to us.
This is why we make bold to come out now and shout that enough is enough, we cannot condole this any longer and we need to restructure the party in the state and come out by better by ourselves.
We have decided to address this press conference to bring this matter to your foot door steps, and to call some leaders and stakeholders in State APC for a meeting and way forward that will help your administration in bringing dividends of democracy to the nooks and crannies in the State under your leadership. We want to call our Senators and Reps in the National Assembly and members of the Federal government appointees with some respected leaders of the party in the State to a round table discussion to forge a positive future for our party. We are out to identify a leader or leadership structure that will work to deliver Oyo State APC in coming 2027 general election.
OUR PRAYERS
1. We humbly request Our President, the SGF, The Chief of staff to the president and NSA with other kitchen cabinet of the Mr. President to give us a Minister of our choice, we pleaded on this because we know the situation of Oyo State properly, and we know those who will give us solutions to our problems. We also request for good appointments in our folds as critical APC members in appointment to boards, parastatals etc.
2. We call for repositioning of leadership of the party in the State to give us a sense of belonging in the party. If we had not known know the letter from the SGF, we would have lost out. Only God knows many other things that have happened in the party.
3. Our body in the State will like to come to you for proper interaction with our leaders on the way forward in each southwest State.
4. We appeal to you for a proper placement of support groups in this government because they need to be encouraged and well compensated. We are well-equipped intellectually with good understanding of central politics and governance.
Ladies and Gentlemen of our party, the press men and women and our general audience, most especially Mr. President and his Kitchen cabinet, we thank you for honouring us and giving us your time, thank you very much.
God bless you all and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Signed:
Hon. Amoo Taofeek Ayoola (08034335319)
Fmr. Ib. South West L/G Executive, 1991-1993
Member. Presidential Campaign Council PCC.
Convener, Our Hope 23 for Good Governance.
