The Leaders of APC in Constituency II, Akoko North West Local Government Area have made a clarion call to the State Government and APC on the choice of the next Candidate into the Federal Constituency of Akoko North West/East for the forthcoming Bye Election . The call was made at the recently held Meeting of the Constituency Leaders at Afin Akoko. The Leaders made the call to both the State Government and the State Party hierarchy in order to have at least a representative in the APC Government all levels.
It should be recalled that the position became vacant following the appointment of Hon Bunmi Tunji Ojo by President Tinubu as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. A bye-election is now required to fill the vacant position.
The major highlights of decisions reached at the important meeting included, but not limited to the following. The Meeting:
- noted with joy the news of the gradual recovery of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and prayed for his early full recovery to continue with his good works for people of the State.
- Congratulated and rejoiced with Hon Bunmi Tunji Ojo on his appointment as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by President Tinubu and appreciated the President for his choice
- noted that by implication of his appointment, the seat of AKNW/NE Federal Constituency at the National Assembly has become vacant .
- appealed that the choice of candidate for the position should be made from Constituency II of Akoko Northwest Local Government
- acknowledged and grateful for the concession already given by the Akoko North East Local Government during the last elections as well as the expected influential roles of the State Government, APC as a Party in the State and Hon Bunmi Ojo in respect of where the next candidate of the party for the position would be chosen.
- noted with pains that out of the three Constituencies which constitute the said Federal Constituency, it is only Constituency II, AKNW that has no single political appointee nor Federal Representative at both the State and Federal levels. We considered this as too humiliating and as one of the remote causes of the Party crisis in the Constituency in the recent past.
- rejoiced with our kinsmen in the State Constituency of Akoko North East Local Government with a Senator and an Honourable Commissioner as well as Akoko North West Constituency I with a Minister and an Hon. Commissioner in the State Cabinet as well as the Chairman of the Local Government Council in the minimum.
- agreed that in spite of lack of any representative at all levels, the Leadership of the Constituency had carried along it’s followers or Party Members as well as mobilized the Constituency to support and actively participate in all recent elections and still be loyal not only to the Party but also to the APC- led Government at all levels in the Country. It is our view that one good turn deserves another .
- was conscious and quiet aware that Party members, the citizenry and our Kabiyes from the Constituency are now crying loud and very eager that the opportunity created as a result of the appointment of Hon Bunmi Tunji Ojo as Minister should normally be given to Constituency II without asking, but we do not want to take anything for granted.
- observed that many of our members in the Constituency have already shown interest and others are making consultations to consolidate on their decisions to contest for the MHR position. These individuals have been encouraged to continue their consultations as the Constituency will continue to harp the need for the choice of the Party’s Candidate from the Constituency, and therefore;
- appealed to Mr Governor, the State Party Chairman, Hon Bunmi Tunji Ojo and other political and non political leaders of the two Local Government Areas to allow fairness and good disposition that will lead to the choice of a Candidate from AKNW Constituency II for this election.
Speaking at the end of the meeting, a forthright Politician and a Political scholar: Ola Amuda expressed happiness at the News of Mr Governor’s accelerated recovery and noted that “decisions relating to the current political thingification as far as the choice of Candidate to the AKNW/NE Federal Constituency is concerned, it ought to be made by given the position to Constituency II, to allow for considerable representations among the Constituent units both in terms of human and material resources.” According to him “our stake in Constituency II on this matter is in line with Harold Lasswell who defined Politics as ‘Who gets what, when and how’. The “who” in this matter must be Constituency II of Akoko North West Local Government, for the sake of equity, fair play and good representations”