Ekiti 2022 Guber: APC’s victory hangs on reconciliation — Party Chieftain
By Mike Adebayo, Ado-Ekiti
As the governorship elections in the ‘Fountain Knowledge’ state is draw near, a All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart and tax expert, Chief Olusegun Ajibulu has called on leaders of the party to come together and form a formidable front to confront pending elections or be ready to pay the bitter price of selfishness.
According to him, the APC can only come victorious if the leaders are ready to bury their personal interests by allowing party interest to flourish, just as he said that benefits of democracy spread better when victory is sustained.
Ajibulu who spoke after about two months visit to Nigeria to access and nurture the party, preparatory to the 2022 gubernatorial election year, said he was not too happy with the present state of affairs in the party.
Speaking with Nigerian NewsDirect in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, the APC chieftain bemoaned the lingering acrimony among the leadership of the party in Ekiti State and urged party stakeholders to wade in and restore sanity.
“Our party in Ekiti State is passing through a very rife turbulence at a very dangerous time. A lot of the leaders are bitter and there is an urgent need to appease them, come together as one big family to resolve cogent electoral issues in the interest of the party, so that we can sustain our relevance in coming elections.
“Yes, some ominous mistakes had been made. Some of our leaders feel wronged and they have the right to feel so, if their expectations are seemingly not met by the current administration. I am also aware that all expectations of members cannot be met by one government. It is only through continuity that dividends of democracy can spread across boards.
“Therefore, what we need at this point is to all push aside our differences and come together in the interest of our great party, so that the gains of victory can spread further.
“Three years into a government is long. But a year is also long enough to make necessary amends, assuage hurt nerves, appease bruised souls, concede to some wrongdoings, forgive ourselves and forge ahead as one big family to confront the political challenges ahead,” he said.
The America based technocrat who served as Commissioner in Ekiti State Pension Commission between 2010 and 2014, said tolerance and cooperation are all the APC needed to be able to come out victorious in the governorship elections and beyond.
By his assessment, the state of the APC in Ekiti, as it is, is not palatable to confront pending elections, hence the urgent need for leaders in the party to put aside their personal interests and work assiduously for the party’s success and electoral victory.
Ajibulu urged all stakeholders to be resolute to agree and come together in unity to ensure a free, fair and fruitful party primary that would midwife a credible, people-friendly and resourceful governorship flagbearer for the party next year.
He enjoined those charged with the responsibility to conduct the primary to do a thorough and all-embracing job that will restore unity to the party.
During his visit, Ajibulu engaged some youths and stakeholders in reconciliatory talks, where he highlighted the need to mend fences and go to the coming polls as one big, formidable family.
At the meeting he held with APC youth in Ikole Local Government, he expressed the need for cohesion and the creation of an enabling environment for peace and tranquility to reign among members.
“We need to invite peace into our midst as one, indivisible APC family. Our house must be put in order to be able to surmount the humongous electoral challenges stirring us all in the face. We need to start accommodating ourselves and create a level playing ground that will guarantee fairness, equity and unity.
“To achieve the needed success in the pending elections, we have no option than to come together under the same roof, see ourselves as one big family, so we can face the electoral turbulence headlong and come out of it victorious,” he said.
