Osoba snubs launching of APC in Ogun state

A large crowd of party faithful witnessed the launch today of the newly registered political party in Nigeria, All Progressives Congress, APC in Abeokuta.

But conspicuously absent was one of the national leaders of the party and former governor of the State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba. All the
three Senators and nine members of the House of Representatives, also shunned the event. Absent also were 22 members of the state assembly, believed to be loyalists of Osoba.

P.M.News gathered that the party members were absent because Governor Amosun defied the instruction of the national leadership to suspend formal launching of the new party as there were issues to be straightened out in the new association.

As P.M NEWS learnt, the APC still wants to write its comprehensive manifesto and compile a new register of members before formal launch in all the states of Nigeria.

The launch which was held at Ake palace ground in Ake, Abeokuta was
mostly attended by members of the party believed to be loyalists of
Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

Against the expectation that the stalwarts of the merging parties
would address the crowd one after the other, only three leaders
including the governor addressed the people.

Addressing the crowd, former Chairman of the defunct Congress for
Progressive Change, CPC in the State,Hon.Kunle Mudashiru vowed that
the combination of the defunct parties would defeat the ruling party
Peoples Democratic Party,PDP in the coming
general elections in the country.

The National Assistant Financial Secretary, (Southwest) of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party,ANPP, Otunba Wasiu Olalekan said the new party would give the people of the country good dividends of democracy, saying that,”people will soon compare the dark 14 years of the PDP at the national level with what is to be expected from us. As soon as we get the mandate from the people, the difference will be definitely clear”, he boasted.

However, the Interim Chairman of the new party in the State,who also
doubles as the Chairman of the defunct ACN in Ogun State, Alhaji
Tajudeen Olaotan Bello surprised the crowd at the venue as he
turned his expected speech into songs.

Thereafter, Governor Ibikunle Amosun took the centre stage, assuring
the people of the State of better governance both at the State and
the national level, if the party is voted into office in the coming
general elections.

Describing the party as the only party that has presence in all the
six geo-political zones in the country, Amosun stated that the leaders
of the amalgam parties voluntarily buried their personal interests for
the benefit of the generality of Nigerians.

“If we are talking of the North East, we have Zamfara there, if we are
talking of the North West, we have Kebbi there, if it is the North
Central we are talking about, we have Nassarawa there,if we are
talking of the South- East, we have Imo there,if we are talking of the
South- South, we have Edo there and if it is in the South -West here,
we are everywhere there.

“When we started, people thought it was a joke, people said we need
only two weeks that we will collapse, they changed it to two months,
they said we will not agree with ourselves. When the issue of name
came up, we agreed with ourselves, on the flag issue, we agreed with
ourselves, on the party symbol, we agreed too.

“They said the party will scatter when they were asked to present
interim officers, do we scatter now, rather, we are becoming much
stronger. APC now has answers to all their problems, we have APC
ointment, we have APC injection, we have APC soap, we have APC cream,
we have APC drugs and we have APC drips.For those who don’t want
injection, we will give them drips. This is the party that will give
Nigerians good governance like good roads, electricity, health and other infrastructural amenities”, Amosun said.

Some of the politicians who left the PDP were recognised at the launch. Among them were the former Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Chief Fatai Sowemimo, former PDP deputy governorship candidate, Tunde Oladunjoye, and Senator Iyabode Anisulowo.

The other dignitaries presenet were Senator Olabiyi Durojaye , Iyalode Alaba Lawson, Bashorun Doja Adewolu, executive members of the
State led by the deputy governor, Prince Segun Adesegun, traditional
rulers, students, artisans, market men and women, members of NURTW,
RTEAN, ACOMORAN, AMORAN and other various groups.