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The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Oyo state during the 2019 general election, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, on Thursday, pledged his loyalty to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking at a meeting of some stakeholders of the Oyo State chapter of the APC, held at Premier Hotel, Ibadan, Lanlehin, in what he described as homecoming, said a critical look at his trajectory in politics showed that he had always aligned with the core progressive ideology.
Expressing gladness at being “back home in the APC,” Lanlehin said that it had become clear to him that anyone who was a member of other parties, apart from the APC or PDP, might only be wasting his or her time.
He had recently resumed affinity with the APC following the emergence of a caretaker committee of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by Mr Adeoti Aderoju, which pledged loyalty to Chief Michael Koleosho, Chief Layiwola Olakojo and Senator Monsurat Sunmonu.
Speaking, Lanlehin said: “I am back home. Home is APC. I am a core progressive from SDP to AD to ACN to APC. I identify very totally with the progressive ideology. But, it has become very clear now that there are only two parties in Nigeria.
“If you find yourself in any other party, due to no fault of yours, that is outside those two parties, I am sorry to say that you might not be doing yourself the right thing; you might be wasting your time.
“In Nigeria of today, we have only two parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and they represent the spectrum of conservatism and progressivism.
“I believe I should be here in the APC. I have been there before; I have served the party; I was a foundation member; I was a member of NADECO; I went through the trajectory. So, it is only nice that I go back to where I was before and where I left for certain reasons. But I am very glad to be back home.”
The meeting was an opportunity for some APC members, under the umbrella of The Progressives, to brief members of the outcome of recent meetings held with the National Reconciliation Committee of the APC in Abuja.
Shittu, who led the presentations, said all contentious issues ranging from grievances of members on the imposition of candidates on the party despite purchasing forms to contest councillorship and chairmanship, flawed congresses, the emergence of party executive council members from state to ward level that was not popularly elected by party members, were tabled and addressed at the meeting.
The former minister , however, said both Unity Forum and SENACO factions of the party had agreed to resolve the misgivings of the past and differences and work for the unity of the party.
He reported that the National Reconciliation Committee accepted all the proposals for peace as contained in the reports of representatives to the meetings in Abuja, and enjoined all members of the party to shun any action that could derail the peace initiative of the party.
As part of plans to reposition Oyo APC, Shittu said that there will soon be fresh registration of all members, to be followed by congresses to elect new executives across the nation.
According to Shittu, the two groups that attended the meeting with the National Reconciliation Committee were mandated to nominate three members each to oversee the fresh registration of all members with the executive committee of the party.This, he said, will be followed by the party convention to hold latest by January 2021.
Various stakeholders, who spoke at the meeting, stressed the need for members to embrace the new peace initiative led by the Governor Abubakar Badaru-led committee of the APC and the National Caretaker Committee of the party.
The meeting had in attendance Senator Soji Akanbi; Senator Ayo Adeseun; former Minister of Communication, Bayo Shittu; Mr Niyi Akintola (SAN); Professor Adeolu Akande; Mr Fatai Ibikunle; Mr Saheed Akinade-Fijabi; Mr Waheed Olajide; Mr Abu Gbadamosi among others.