By Emmanuel Oladesu ,Deputy Editor
The Natiomal Vice Chairman (Southwest) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Pastor Bankole Oluwajana, has said the region is united and prepared for future political challenges.
He said although 2023 poll is still far and too premature to discuss, the Southwest will confront the challenge with courage and optimism.
The vice chairman told reporters in Lagos Southwest APC leaders have closed ranks and resolved to sustain the tempo of political unity in the interest of the zone and Nigeria.
He said: ”2023 is still far off. We have just finished an election. I am happy that people are looking in the direction of the Southwest, even when our leaders have not made the demand for it. Our leaders have not spoken. But, we in the Southwest will not shy away from the call to duty. We are working to ensure unity in the Southwest.”
Reflecting on the zoning controversy, Oluwajana said “those against zoning are in the minority,” adding that they were only expressing their personal opinions.
He stresed: “There are competent people in the Southwest. Zoning limits rancour. If you are talking about competence, Southwest will be the first. In other parts of Nigeria, we have competent people too.”
To the vice chairman, the crises in Ondo and Osun APC had been exaggerated, pointing out that more intra-party squabbles are normal in politics and democracy.
Oluwajana warned against the penchant for perceiving politics and election as a matter of life and death, saying that political contest is not an equivalence of war.
He urged Nigerians to support President Buhari “because he is doing his best.”
Oluwajana, who spoke on the bond of unity in Southwest APC, cautioned against peddling rumours of discord in Ondo and Osun chapters.
He said he believed the Ondo State deputy governor, Agboola Ajayi, who had clarified that there was no friction between him and his boss, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN).
He also said the friction between Akeredolu and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is a figment of hyperactive imagination.
Describing Ondo APC as a vibrant chapter, Oluwajana said: “People have ambitions and plans in a party. If someone aspires, it is not suggestive of disunity. The leadership of the APC believes that the party should retain Ondo and we are working towards it. There were challenges in 2016, but the party still won.”
The vice chairman cautioned against character assassination and campaigns of calming, warning that “anybody that runs down the party in Ondo because he wants to be governor will not get there.”
However, Oluwajana said the party chairman, Ade Adetinehin, has a lot of job to do, in terms of reconciliation, adding that the zonal leadership will build support for the peace moves.
Hailing Akeredolu for living up to expectation, he said: “The Ondo governor is focusing on infrastructural development. We have over three million people in Ondo. He is constantly paying the salaries of workers and he is not neglecting outstanding salaries.
“Nobody can get free money from Akeredolu. Our focus is the effort he has been making to develop Ondo. We now have several flights going to Ondo. There are activities going on in Ore, Olokola Port. He is trying to make the bitumen in Agbabu a reality.”
The party chieftain said Ondo peoplexare always critical of their government. He pointed out that the governor is tightening loose ends and preventing corruption. He lamented that Ondo APC lost two senatorial seats to discordant tunes, assuring that such disagreement will nor reoccur.
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Oluwajana cautioned against blowing the APC crisis out of proportion, saying that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is not enjoying any respite.
He added: “Is the PDP different? Are Dickson and Wike not fighting? Is a Southeast governor not being accused of fraternising with the APC? Even, in United States, are there no issues? Except in one party state, there will be issues in politics. But, when they are resolved, there will be peace.”
Oluwajana reflected on the rift between APC National Chairman Adam’s Oshiomhole and Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, assuring that it will be resolved.
He noted that the party has set up a reconciliation committee to reconcile them.
The vice chairman said such crises are not new in a dynamic party, recalling that at a time some sceptics thought the party will explode, shortly before the 2014 convention, the platform waxed stronger.
He said Obaseki, who had rejected the reconciliation panel, should have complained directly to the president.
He stressed: “The rejection is an issue that will be resolved too. If Obaseki has issues with the committee, I would have expected him to complain to the president.”
Oluwajana peeped into 2023, saying that eyes may not be on the Southeast.
His words: “You look at the strength of the party in the Southeast, although Southeast is holding key positions in government. APC is strong in the North. APC is strong in the Southwest. Southeast should embrace APC. Nobody will beg a region with a presidential ticket. There are states in the Southeast where APC does not have up to 50,000 membership. They must realise that they cannot be an island in Nigeria. They should team up for unity.”
On border closure, Oluwajana said: “Positive thinkers should take full advantage of the border closure to contribute to production. Are we supposed to be depending on goods from other countries? We should encourage our people to look inwards.
“The border closure should propel production. Young graduates should shun intellectual laziness and make use of government’s policies to be productive.”
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