Aggrieved governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Mr Niyi Akintola, on Tuesday, said his grouse against Governor Abiola Ajimobi for sidelining and not rewarding people like him who worked for his emergence as governor and for the sustenance of the party remained bottled up.
Akintola added that he was unhappy with the imposition of people who didn’t work for the party on the politics of the state and injustice, pointing out he would release a compendium of political happenings under Ajimobi in due time.
Speaking with journalists before facing the APC reconciliation committee sitting for Oyo and Osun states, held in Ibadan, that was chaired by Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, Akintola said the APC would only be peaceful if it ensured that all members of the party got the justice they deserved.
He urged the National Working Committee and other appropriate organs of the APC to urgently take steps to address the party’s faulty reward system.
It would be recalled that Akintola was last to announce his withdrawal from the APC governorship race during the party’s primaries held on September 30, citing pressure and calls from respected political leaders and traditional rulers.
“The party has not offended me but my grouse is against an individual. I am an elder in Yoruba land hence I should not keep quiet. Many of you are keeping quiet. There can be no peace without justice.
You can’t talk about peace without justice. Justice is the foundation of peace. The party is out for justice and I hope the appropriate organs of the party will take the necessary steps.
“However, elders of the party and in town have spoken with me and I have taken the advice to heart. When the time comes, I will open up. There is so much for me to say,” Akintola said.
Prominent among those who appeared before the reconciliation committee was former deputy governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore.
Some members of the committee at the sitting included Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, former deputy governor of Ekiti state, Professor Modupe Adelabu and Mrs Sa’ida Bugaje.
In his remarks to aggrieved members, Shettima harped on the need to build bridges of understanding in the party, noting that the APC NWC understood the importance of every party member in ensuring the party’s success in the 2019 election and was keen on bringing all its members on board.
Specifically, Shettima urged aggrieved party members to emulate the tolerance, courage and patience of Governor Ambode who he said demonstrated unparalleled generosity of spirit that had never been shown by any Nigerian politician since 1999.
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“We listened to our members, we have noted down their grievances and we will forward those observations and solutions proffered to the National Working Committee of the party for appropriate action. We called on them to exercise patience, show courage and emulate Governor Akinwunmi Ambode who is steady, tolerant and accommodating.
“The NWC will take far-reaching decisions to ensure that all party members are brought on board to achieve our dream of winning the 2019 election. Everyone is important in this movement and we will not underrate anyone,” Shettima said.
Speaking in the same vein, Ambode emphasised the need for all party members to bond as a family and be united in ensuring that the party wins the 2019 election.
“There is no amount of wound that can manifest in your heart as being present here that we can permanently heal. But what is important is that we have created a platform for us to be able to start to bond our family, the APC family together.
“We are one family. But some of the people seated here have one or two issues to complain about. But we are peacemakers. What is important is that we must bond together, and also carry that crusade of making our party to win the 2019 elections together.
“And the 2019 elections will not mark the end of our great party. So, obviously, there will be other things that can come out more fruitful than the competition that you have actually envisaged that you are going to be the winners.
“It is in that same spirit that I will just like you to imbibe what it is that you can emulate from my own way of responding to the situation at hand. When there is life, there is hope. There will be greater opportunities ahead,” Ambode said.
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