By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan.
South West leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday met behind closed door in Ibadan for about four hours to strategies for regional strength and unfolding political challenges in the country.
New Nigerian gathered from reliable sources at the meeting that the closed door held at the Oyo state Governor’s Office, Agodi was also used to mend fences among warring APC leaders particularly to reconcile Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Mr Raji Fashola with the APC National leader, Senator Bola Tinubu.
The meeting conveyed by Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state was attended by Governors Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state, Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos state, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun state as well as the former interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande.
Others at the meeting included former governor of Ogun state, Chief Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Osun state Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Chief Niyi. Adebayo, Engineer Segun Oni, Minister for Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Muhammed, Minister for Solid Minerals Dr Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Works, Power and Housing Minister, Mr. Babatunde Fashola the Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu and the Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, a Chieftain of the party and former governor of Ogun state, Aremo Segun Osoba said the meeting was to deliberate and resolve issues affecting APC in the Southwest so as to have “a more formidable strength in the party and in the affairs of Nigeria as a whole”.
Aremo Osoba hinted that towards these, the meeting reconciled Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Mr Raji Fashola with Senator Tinubu.
“All the members that we invited are here except the Deputy Speaker (Hon. Lasun Yusuf) who is presently out of the country. We met principally to discuss all the things that may be affecting Southwest and we have come out with a resolution to show that in the Southwest of APC there is unity of purpose and that the leadership is one,”he said.
The APC leaded disclosed further that the meeting,” resolved on all the issues that may be affecting the governance of this country and what should be the role and the influence that we should exercise as a group in the interest of this country and for the progress of this country”, saying “we have examined the government that we were all involved is bringing about and we have resolved all the issues and all those that will be taken to Abuja will be taken to Abuja by those concerned”.
“We have related with our legislative members, leaders at the party level and we have related with all our governors. I can assure you from now onward, there will be total harmony and consultation among our governors for the progress of Southwest Nigeria. Southwest is the leader of progressives in this country and we are determined to reassert our influence in the progressive politics of this country for the betterment of Nigeria.”
