FOLLOWING his disavowal of the way and manner by which the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) conducted its gubernatorial primary and consequently denied the incumbent, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, a second term ticket, the state Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr Olawale Oluwo, has resigned his appointment with immediate effect.
Besides, Oluwo also resigned his party membership in a letter he wrote the state chairman of APC, Alhaji Babatunde Balogun, while in another message made available to newsmen, the commissioner announced his defection to the leading opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with a promise to work for victory of its gubernatorial candidate, Mr Jimi Agbaje, who he described as his friend.
The commissioner, in the letter he penned to the APC chairman in the state, disclosed that he had earlier in the day submitted his resignation letter with the state governor, Mr Ambode, while he took a swipe at the party concerning the way and manner it handled the last October primary exercise, which he said was in violation of the party’s guidelines.
According to him, the way the exercise was held showed that principles of merit, competence, justice and fairness had been sacrificed by the APC on the altar of political expediency, adding that the integrity deficient nature of the primary had significantly diminished the hard-earned reputation of Lagos as a reference point for free and fair democratic practice.
Oluwo equally lamented what he described as the indifference of the APC as a party to the “continued use an arm of government by a powerful group within the party to intimidate critical institutions of democracy in the state, undermines the doctrine of separation of powers, creates an atmosphere of uncertainty and impairs government’s ability to implement policies and programmes that will benefit the majority of the people.”
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This, he said was in conflict with his strongly held belief that group interest, no matter how powerful, must be subordinated to the interest of the majority.
Text of the letter to the Chairman, Lagos chapter of APC, Alhaji Babatunde Balogun reads:
“A few hours ago, I submitted to His Excellency, the governor of Lagos State, a letter of resignation of my appointment as the Honourable Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources. Consequently, as a registered member of All Progressives Congress. I have deemed it necessary to notify you of my intention to reconsider my membership status.
“My decision to resign is not unconnected with the event of the last few weeks, which have created a heavy moral burden for me. I have found it rather difficult to come to terms or rationalize the party’s conduct of the October 2018 primary elections, which were largely characterised by massive voter disenfranchisement, intimidation, violence, undue influence and non- compliance with all known principle of democracy. In the particular case of the gubernatorial primary which was conducted using the ‘open ballot’ option in violation of the guidelines of the APC that specified the ‘open secret ballot’ option, it is clear to me that the core principles of merit, competence, justice and fairness have been sacrificed by the APC on the alter of political expediency.
“The integrity sufficient nature of the primary has significantly diminished the hard earned reputation of our state as a reference point for free and fair democratic practice. I have struggled for weeks to understand the rationale for the apparent desperation and brigandage brazenly displayed by the party apparatchic in the various elections. I had never thought such a vicious attack could be unleashed on the progress that the State had made in its steady democratic journey.
“The indifference of the APC to the continued use of an arm of government by a powerful group within the party, to intimidate critical institutions of democracy in the state, undermines the doctrine of separation of powers, creates an atmosphere of uncertainty and impairs government’s ability to implement policies and programmes that will benefit the majority of the people. The is in conflict with my strongly held belief that group interest, no matter how powerful, must be subordinated to the interest of the majority.
“I am convinced that the present atmosphere of encircument will not abate anytime soon. I therefore resign my membership of the All Progressives Congress, immediately.”
Nigerian Tribune learnt that Oluwo, believed to be one of the trusted hands of Governor Ambode, had wanted to resign his appointment in October, just a few days after the party primary, which he contested did not follow laid down rules and regulations but was persuaded from doing so by the governor.
It was learnt that Oluwo was at one time in the past the PDP candidate for House of Reps seat in Epe area of the State.
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