Tinubu, Osoba, Others Demand More Action From Buhari’s Government

All Progressives Congress(APC) leaders from the Southwest held what they called a ‘crucial’ meeting yesterday, January 12 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

They resolved to: unite and press for more dividends of democracy for the region; and defend the legacies of the zone as the centerpiece of the progressive political ideology, which gave birth to a new Federal Government during the 2015 general elections.

At the Southwest Stakeholders and Elders’ Meeting, which was chaired by the former APC Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, the leaders also agreed to shelve personal differences and project the interest of the region under the progressive banner.

APC chieftains at the meeting included Governors Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) and Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun); Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, APC National Deputy Chairman Chief Segun Oni, National Deputy Vice Chairman Chief Pius Akinyelure, former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba and his Ekiti State counterpart, Otunba Niyi Adebayo.

The six ministers from the zone—Mrs Kemi Adeosun (Finance), Adebayo Shittu (Communication), Babatunde Fashola (Works, Power and Housing), Prof, Isaac Adewole (Health), Prof. Cladius Daramola (Minister of State for Niger Delta ), and Dr. Kayode Fayemi (Solid Minerals) -held a four-hour closed door meeting with the governors and APC leaders.

Akande, who shed light on the meeting on telephone, said: “The purpose of today’s meeting is to let the Southwest office holders at the state and federal levels; the governors and ministers; to meet face to face with the leadership of the party and assure the Southwest people of what they will benefit from the APC-led Federal Government.”

He added: “The Southwest is the home of the progressives and the thinking about the merger started from the Southwest and we want to make sure that positive change will come to the Southwest from the APC Federal Government. That is the motive.”

He dismissed insinuations that the meeting was summoned to reconcile some of the leaders, saying that the elders were not aware of any rift among the stakeholders.

Akande maintained that what was paramount was the unity of the progressive leaders on the platform of the APC in the zone and how the functionaries could attract the benefit of welfare to Yorubaland.