Ajimobi’s reconciliatory moves are on course —Adeagbo

Niyi Adeagbo, Chairman of Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State, in this interview with YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE, speaks on reconciliatory moves within the APC in the state, the national convention and new party executives and other issues.

WHAT is your assessment of the last Saturday APC Convention?

I give distinction to the Chief Odigie Oyegun-led National Working Committee and the Convention Planning Committee for harmoniously working together to ensure a historic and successful elective national convention of our great party – the All Progressives Congress (APC). Meanwhile, I must laud the visionary leadership of President Mohammadu Buhari and our national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; the duo showed us the right direction.

Is there anything extraordinary that warrants your commendations?

The extraordinary thing about the convention is that Nigerians did not expect the outcome of the national convention. A section of political players doubted the party’s willingness to conduct another elective national convention since the June 13, 2014 maiden convention that ushered in Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led executives while another section predicted an inconclusive exercise. Amidst all these negative expectations, the party scaled through. With the successful convention, we have shamed all the Doubting Thomases who insinuated we were scared to produce new set of executives at the wards, the local government areas, the state, the federal capital territory and the national levels.

Therefore, the national leaders deserved commendations for burying their hatchets and united to cement the foundation of our great party.

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With the parallel congresses in over 18 states, the law suits against the party, do you think Oshiomhole’s NWC will have a smooth administration?

It is a self-deceit if I say there were no parallel congresses held in some states but the reconciliatory moves by our leaders especially the APC governors are yielding positive results. We’ve viable internal mechanism to resolve our crises without necessarily resorting to legal battles. Immediately after the congresses, there have been realignments; the result of which we have seen at the convention ground. Let us take for instance, the nPDP leaders actively participated; Senator Magnus Abe’s group ended its feud with Minister Rotimi Amaech’s faction; Governor Rocha’s Okorocha and the opposite camp in Imo State were there; Lagos State contingents closed ranks; and from Oyo State, the leader of the Unity Forum, Minister Adebayo Shittu did not boycott the convention. This tells you the level of progress made as far as reconciliation of aggrieved members.

I have strong confidence in the leadership of our new national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. He has track records of successful leadership as the then President of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and eight years governor of one of the volatile states in the country – Edo State. The previous experience gathered by the national chairman will go a long way in helping the party to come out of the crises unhurt. The NWC under him will continue from where Chief Oyegun stopped.

While I congratulate our newly elected members of the National Working Committee under the chairmanship of Comrade Oshiomhole, I urge them to do all that necessary to not only keep our existing members but also bring more political gladiators into APC.

May I also use this medium to congratulate one of us from Oyo State, Honourable Hammed Hafees Bolaji Repete on his election as the Deputy National Youth Leader of our great party. He is a worthy youth ambassador and will surely represent the state well.

With the Unity Forum in talks with Senator Rashidi Ladoja and the ADC, do you think APC will retain power in Oyo?

Our leader in the state, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, is leaving no stone untouched and unturned in reconciling the aggrieved members. In a matter of weeks from now, the real progressive within the Unity Forum will rescind their decision to leave APC we all founded together; there is no place like home. Governor Ajimobi is a father and leader of the party in the state; he has mandated every stakeholder to extend hands of fellowship to all displeased members and I am sure they will be reintegrated into the mainstream of the party before party primaries which are due to hold from September 2018.

While we await amicable resolutions, I enjoin the few aggrieved party members to shun divisive tendencies in order for us to forge ahead as one indivisible party; collectivism is our strength in winning elections.

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