After the violence witnessed at the presidential rally of the All Progressives Congress, APC on Monday, the party has promised to punish the Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, for allegedly hiring thugs that attacked President Muhammadu Buhari and party leaders.
Expressing regrets at the disruption of the campaign, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, in a statement on Tuesday said that those responsible for the “premeditated attacks” would be dealt with. The party said the sanction would be delayed till after the elections.
Issa-Onilu said, “The All Progressives Congress (APC) regrets Monday’s premeditated attacks sponsored by Governor Ibikunle Amosun on President Muhammadu Buhari and other senior party leaders at the venue of the presidential campaign rally in Ogun State. This is one act of indiscipline too many. The APC will not condone acts of indiscipline, indiscretion, and anti-party activities from any party member no matter how highly placed. The party will review this gross misconduct of deliberately positioning thugs to attack and embarrass the President and the party’s leadership. The party will take a decision on this matter immediately after the elections.
“It must be stated that party supremacy and discipline according to our constitution are not matters of choice but binding principles which must be adhered to by all party members. The APC is a party known for discipline, justice, fairness, and equality hence any plan to destroy what this party stands for would be rejected. No single person will be allowed to put his personal and selfish interests ahead of the wishes of the people of Ogun State and elsewhere.”
The APC said the decision of the National Working Committee on post-primaries remained unbendable.
“Post primaries, the decision of the National Working Committee to uphold the wishes of party members is unbendable. Therefore, whatever means being presently deployed by persons intending to undermine the wishes of the people for personal gains will not be tolerated. We urge our teeming party supporters and members not to be disturbed by Monday’s condemnable incident. We urge all to continue trooping out en masse for our remaining campaigns and vote massively for all and only APC candidates in the forthcoming general elections,” the statement added.
Amosun had also in an earlier Facebook post which he has subsequently deleted mocked Tinubu.
He wrote: “The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State boiled over today (Monday) when protests by party members marred the presidential campaign rally as party members booed the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, former Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Raufu Aregbesola and Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign, Rotimi Amaechi . Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the first time in the APC Presidential campaign, declined to make a speech at the event as he exited the venue through the backdoor as President Muhammadu Buhari made his speech.
“President Buhari, as he did at the presidential rally of the APC in Owerri , Imo State, asked members of the party in the state to vote for any candidate of their choice apart from the presidential election.
“Trouble started early in the rally shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari made a triumphant entry into the Moshood Abiola Stadium in company with the Vice President Yemi Oshinbajo, Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and other chieftains of the APC. The Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Rotimi Amaechi in his opening remarks remarked that the rally was an APC campaign, a note that was received with a resounding shout of “no”, ”no” from the stands.
“The protests got louder when the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole came on board and disclosed that his mission was to introduce President Muhammadu Buhari and the gubernatorial candidate of the party. The disclosure sent the stands into uproar and sachets of water were hauled in the direction of the party chairman where other party chieftains were seated.
“Governor Amosun had to step in to appeal to the party members to be calm and not “disgrace” him before President Muhammadu Buhari. His repeated appeals fell on deaf ears and went into crescendo as the insistence of Comrade Oshiomhole to present the party flag to Prince Dapo Abiodun, further infuriated the party members.
Source: PUNCH