20th July, 2017
A chieftain of the APC in Mushin, Lagos State, Mr Abdulsobur Olawale, on Thursday urged aggrieved members of the party to embrace peace in the interest of the party.
Olawale, representing Mushin II in the Lagos State House of Assembly, made the appeal at a press briefing in Lagos.
The briefing followed protests over the process of producing APC flag bearers in the Saturday’s council polls in the state.
War of words has been ongoing among some leaders of the party especially in Mushin as some claim that others imposed candidates on the party.
According to Olawale, struggle by some members to emerge as APC candidates was affecting the peace of the party.
“As we can see, this struggle cannot allow them to identify the need for general good over personal gains.
“Recent events in Mushin LGA and Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA are a cause for concern for the party,’’ the lawmaker said.
Olawale, a former Adviser on Transportation to former Gov. Bola Tinubu of Lagos and National Leader of APC, said that he aligned with the wish of Tinubu on the choice of candidates.
The lawmaker, who said that Banire and Sen. Ganiyu Solomon, also an APC stalwart in Mushin, equally remained his political leaders, called for peace to enable APC to succeed in the polls.
“In the interest of the party, our leaders and my constituents, and to ensure peace, unity and progress in my party and constituency, it is my wish to align with the wish of the National Leader of our great party, Tinubu.
“I want to be numbered among those who, in the face of cheap blackmail and peddling of malicious falsehood, stood for the truth when the need was most sought.
“I stand with my people in respecting the decision of my party and our respected leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, at this trying moment.
“I appeal to everyone who is aggrieved to let us come together for the common good of all. A part, no matter how vital, cannot be greater than a whole,’’ he said.
Hundreds of APC members in Mushin LGA and Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA on Tuesday marched to the Lagos Assembly Complex, APC secretariat and the Government House, Alausa, to demand the expulsion of Banire over alleged anti-party activities.
Reacting, however, Banire described the protest as stage-managed to intimidate him.
Banire said that, as the APC national legal adviser and custodian of the party’s constitution, it would be destructive for him to support the imposition of candidates.