By Our Correspondent
A group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State, which identified itself as Real Progressives Group, has berated the endorsement of Governor Dapo Abiodun for a second term in office.
In a statement signed by Leke Adebayo on its behalf, the group described as "dead on arrival" the recent endorsement of the Governor by the Abeokuta South Local Government Party Chairman, Hon. Adetunji Fagbenro, who reportedly claimed that Abiodun remains the sole candidate for 2023.
Fagbenro had, at a meeting held on Tuesday at the Party Secretariat, Oke Ejigbo, Abeokuta, led some members to declare support for the Governor's re-election bid, saying he has performed wonderfully well than all his predecessors.
But reacting in a statement titled, "2023: No to backdoor endorsement in APC, group warns," Adebayo said the purported endorsement of the Governor was nothing but a questionable arrangement and a charade which smacks of disguised eye service.
He explained that no meetings and consultations had taken place among the elected and appointed political office holders, party officials, elders and leaders of thought, various caucuses and critical stakeholders from Abeokuta South Local Government before such endorsement was pronounced.
He also noted that amid the possibility of having direct primary in selecting party candidates for the 2023 elections, restricting the fate of the party to an "uninspiring and lackluster option" may result in ugly consequences.
The statement read, "Our attention has been drawn to the purported endorsement of Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for a second term in office by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abeokuta South Local Government Area on Tuesday, December 7, 2021.
The bizarre development, as reported by some online publications, was orchestrated by the Local Government Party Chairman, Hon. Adetunji Fagbenro aka Agbomola, during what was termed an extraordinary meeting held at the Party Secretariat, Oke Ejigbo, Abeokuta.
"In declaring support for Governor Abiodun's re-election bid, Fagbenro and his band of praise-singers reportedly claimed that the Governor has performed wonderfully well than all his predecessors and that the Governor remains their sole candidate for 2023 elections. What performance yardstick was used to catapult a governor that was widely perceived as the most corrupt and clueless of all the Governor's in recent times?
"While we are not out to begrudge Fagbenro over his preposterous preferences, we want to alert the entire members of APC and the general public that the purported endorsement of the Governor for a second term was nothing but a questionable arrangement and a charade which smacks of disguised eye service and indicative of the pervasive corruption of the administration. It is simply laughable, to say the least.
"For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to inform the public that no endorsement has been carried out by the Party in Abeokuta South Local Government. It is instructive to note that for any endorsement to be effected, there must have been due diligence and due process which would be heralded by meetings and consultations among the elected and appointed political office holders, party officials, elders and leaders of thought, various caucuses and critical stakeholders from the Local Government.
"In this instance, nothing of such meetings and consultations had taken place before the so-called endorsement was pronounced. Therefore, the said pronouncement is dead on arrival.
"At a time the APC national leadership is pushing for more inclusiveness in the party and paying attention to giving greater role to the teeming members, we expect leaders at the grassroots level to also key in and play complementary roles rather than muddling up the political waters and muzzling alternative expressions within the fold.
"We wish to state emphatically that we are not aversed to Governor Abiodun's re-election in any way. But since ours is a democratic setting where multiple choices and considerations are allowed, we desire due process to be followed in arriving at any endorsement. There should not be any kangaroo method or backdoor approach to gubernatorial candidacy.
"Amid the possibility of having direct primary in selecting party candidates for the 2023 elections, restricting the fate of our Party to an uninspiring and lackluster option may result in ugly consequences. The electorate is becoming more sophisticated and cannot be hoodwinked anymore.
"The memory of the patently rigged primary 2019 election is still fresh in our minds. In Abeokuta South Local Government, the discerning majority of members will not take that road to perdition as the 2023 elections draw near."
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