By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
Local government executives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State have accused the governor, Ibikunle Amosun of killing the party in his bid to fence off other influential members who may want to aspire to govern the state.
Submitting a petition to the Chief John Odigue-Oyegun led national leadership of the party Tuesday in Abuja, seven APC local government chairmen who said they represented 13 of their other colleagues urged the party to halt the “ignoble and illegal activities” of the governor.
The petition was signed by Ladi Lekuti from Ijebu Ode, Idowu Adetunji, Yewa South; Onaolapo Olawale, Odeda; Muhammed Azeez, Ado Odo-Otta; Sunday Akinyemi, Yewa North; Emmanuel Oguntade, Ipokia and Ayo Banjo, Odogbolu local government area.
According to the petitioners, since the 2015 general elections, “the party has not been holding meetings at all levels in the state viz state, senatorial, local government and at the ward levels. All party meetings have been replaced by briefings only from the governor – Sen. Ibikunle Amosun.
“The state executive organ was and still is hardly financed by the APC-led administration of Gov. Ibikunle Amosun even with countless pleas from elders of the party.
“The state exco organ of the party in the state has become an appendage of the governor and this has divided and paralysed party structure at all levels in the state”, they alleged.
Briefing journalists after submitting the petition, spokesman of the group, Barr. Ayo Banjo said the governor has now declared other influential members of the party as persona non grata.
“Party members are not free to attend political functions with great party leaders in the state. Attending functions with these leaders are often met with the victimization of party members, harassment, illegal suspension and removal of party executives. The governor does all these with reckless abandon and without regard to the political convenience leading to the emergence of the party excos at all levels in the state which hitherto had guaranteed peace”, they submitted.
The petitioners said Mr Amosun who withdrew party buses from the local government executives has now made it difficult for people to defect to the APC.
“It is now difficult for people to defect to the APC, instead, our members are being taken away and lured with gifts to other parties.
“We know the way things are going in the party, the fortunes of the party would be greatly affected in the state. Leaders of the party are perplexed but they cannot say anything. When they attend meetings with the governor, it is just to clap and clap; nothing else”, they said.
The petitioners said the governor has now directed his appointees to “begin to harass, intimidate and illegal remove local government party chairmen on the pretext that they have political affiliation to some aspirants in the state whom the governor for reasons best known to him has declared his enemies”.
National chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun however promised to deploy appropriate party machinery to mediate in the dispute.
