The move by the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, to upturn the directive of the Adams Oshiomole-led national leadership of the All Progressives Congress adopting Direct Primaries for selecting the party’s flag bearers in the forthcoming gubernatorial, senatorial and other elective positions in the state, would be resisted by critical stakeholders in the affairs of Ogun State’ socio, economic and political developments.
This warning was given over the weekend in Abeokuta, Ogun State at a stakeholders meeting between some of the Ogun State gubernatorial contestants and the Ijebu Boys Association, popularly known as IJ Boys, a non-governmental and non-partisan interest group, whose members are made up of mid-age men who are elites and professionals with membership spread across Europe, America and Nigeria.
Reacting to a widely published press statement last week Friday in some national dailies, where Amosun was cited as one of the APC state governors rejecting the Direct Primary order and adopting the Indirect Primaries, the IJ Boys stated that the said incumbent governors are afraid of their dirty deals and are plotting to plant their stooges who will cover their tracks.
The association therefore appealed to the party leadership at local, state and federal levels to ensure that the state governors do not hold them to ransom.
“The party’s adoption of the principles of democratic practice must be seen to be working in the APC. Anything otherwise will jeopardize the hard-earned goodwill of the party in a place like Ogun State, and it will become so easy for opposition party to defeat APC if Amosun insist on imposing his stooge as governorship and himself as Senatorial flagbearers”, warned Bayo Okenla, President of the association.
Speaking further, Okenla averred that if the party has successfully implemented the Direct Primaries in Osun State, and if President Muhammadu Buhari has accepted to go through the Direct Primary option as ordered by the National Working Committee of the party, led by the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomole, and if the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has also vehemently embraced the Direct Primary arrangement, why would some state governors stand against it.
He said: “What are they afraid of?
“Going against such order amounts to party indiscipline which must not be condoned in the APC. The party promised Nigerians in 2015 to be poles apart from what the previous ruling party PDP was notorious for; that is party indiscipline, poor internal democracy, imposition, ineptitude, lawlessness etc. That was one of those fallacies that the CHANGE mantra was meant to change.
“We would join other critical stakeholders across the length and breadth of Ogun state to resist Senator Amosun’s desperate attempt to impose Indirect Party Primaries arrangement with which he wants to influence party delegates and get himself elected as the party Senatorial flagbearer for Ogun Central Senatorial district and also get his governorship nominee Hon. Adekunle Abdulkadir Akinlade elected. No Way! Everybody must be given a level playing ground in line with the global principle of democratic best practice. All card-carrying members should be allowed to vote who they want to represent them through a hydirect open primary as ordered by the party national leadership.”
IJ Boys was established in 2016 as a non-profit organisation by young professionals and elite of Ijebu origin who grew up and attended different secondary schools in Ijebuland in the 80s and are connected by same vision and love for their fatherland.
The association is driven with the objective of seeking human and physical development of Ijebu land through educational, economic and social initiatives as well as thought leadership. It seeks economic empowerment and welfare of its members.
Members are based in Nigeria and in the Diaspora.
Trending
- OSUN: NANS seeks intervention from Governor Adeleke, threatens protest over fee hike, palliative
- Easter Celebration: IGP orders round-the-clock water-tight security at all public spaces
- Kogi poll: SDP witness contradicts self on alleged ‘affidavit forgery’ against Governor Ododo
- No BoT in Labour Party, spokesman dismisses takeover claims
- Nigerian writer urges preservation of literary heritage amid writer shortage
- Health professionals brainstorm in Abuja, seek drug free society
- CAF announce dates for Champions League, Confederation Cup Finals
- Tayo Ayinde withdraws suit against Gani Adams, restates commitment to peace