Senator Farukanmi Cautions APC Members in Akure North Against Disuniry As Youths Abort Party Meeting At Iju.
The Chairman Elders Council of APC in Ondo State and a Second Republic lawmaker, Senator Olorunnimbe Farukanmi has cautioned APC members against disunity.
Senator Farukanmi made the call on Thursday while playing host to leaders of the party in the Local Government Area, who paid him a courtesy call and sought his intervention in the crisis brewing in the party.
The elder statesman warned members against harbouring grudges against one another, saying they remain family members that ought to work together.
“Politics is profitable for anyone that practice it faithfully. I have been involved in it for many decades hence I know what I am saying.
Any youth involved in carrying cutlasses and other dangerous weapons these days has no future. The era of making oneself available for such purposes are over and done with.”
Earlier, Chairman of the party in the local government, Mr. Joshua Eleti, a former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Kenneth Olawale and a two-term member of the House, Honourable Akin Adeniyi and the Council Chairman, Hon. Bankole Ogbesetore had taken turns to explain how their party meeting was truncated by warmongering youths of Iju extraction at the Town Hall. They condemned the invasion of the meeting, with a vow that APC members would continue to meet on how to move the party and state forward.
Mr. Eleti told the gathering that he invited everyone who deserved to be at the meeting.
“We had sat when these youths came in and drove all of us out. They threatened brimstone and fire. But we left the scene for peace to reign. We have come to you as younger ones, who obeyed instruction from our party headquarters to prepare for membership registration. Sir, help us inform Mr. Governor that a leader of the party from Iju is out to cause crisis, which we do not need”
Hon. Akin Adeniyi blamed a top indigene of the town for the attack. According to him, the man in question wants to be the only one controlling others.
“This leader is the clog in the wheel of progress in the party in this local government. He operates divide and rule tactics. The youths he sent to disrupt our meeting today were after a political office holder for no reason. They said it to the hearing of all. The DPO and his team witnessed the mayhem. This is our town in Ondo State. We will not succumb to intimidation from any quarter. Sir, as our baba in politics, use your influence to talk to those fanning the embers of division to stop it”
Hon. Ogbesetore remarked that he became a personal non grata to the party leader for refusing to “cede two strategic positions in the council to him.” He warned against troublemakers and their sponsors, saying the full weight of the law would be used against such.
Rt. Honourable Kenneth Olawale said invitation to the parley was extended to all party leaders, exco members in the wards and appointees across the the length and breadth of Akure North local government area. He added that the purpose was to deliberate on how to mobilise members towards registration for the national exercise coming up next week.
He added that party faithfuls in our hundreds- leaders, appointees, elected members and members-male and female had all converged on the venue, Iju Town Hall.
“Suddenly some youths stormed the Hall shouting, overturning, tables, pushing people and brandishing dangerous weapons, saying the meeting must not hold. They chased everyone out of the meeting. In the presence of security agents, they were threatening to deal with an office holder from the local government. After leaving the Hall, they still threw stones at us. In the process, a number of the women, who scampered for safety suffered injuries. This should not happen in Iju again. Please sir, it is time to forge ahead and work towards making our local government and state become more peaceful.”
The party leaders expressed their disdain and shock at the development, saying all hands must be on deck to prevent bad eggs from turning Iju to a battleground.
According to them, the new peace being enjoyed in the town needed to be sustained to avoid the ugly experiences of the past.
They said Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu is the only leader of APC in Ondo State, urging Senator Farukanmi to wade in and make the State headquarters nip the brewing crisis in the bud before it gets out of hand.
Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Saka Ogunleye expressed shock at the disruption.
“I find it difficult to belief that some youths from this town can come to abort a parry meeting. They claimed that they had been instructed to prevent the meeting from taking place.
I was there on invitation as a party member. We had been invited as leaders to mobilise our members in the various wards to register on Tuesday. Its unfortunate and very sad that this is happening at this time.”
Among leaders of the party at the meeting were SSA to Mr. Governor, Mr. Lincoln Afolabi Ojo, former Chairmen of Akure North, Hons. Simbo Akinola and Rotimi Adeleye and Education Secretary of Akure North, Mr. Samuel Olowere and APC Iyaloja General, Chief (Mrs) Funke Adu.
Others include former chairman Ondo State Water Corporation, Chief Dapo filani, former chairman of the defunct ANPP in Ondo state, Chief Yemisi Aladesaye, immediate past principal of Oyemekun Grammar School, Akure, Chief ST Ojo and elected councillors across the Local Government.
Others political office holders, all local government executive of the party, all ward chairmen and all other party executives in the 12 Wards were in attendance.
A former member of the State House of Assembly, Hon Olamide George, who could not attend the meeting, sent his apologies.
