According to reports from Herald Nigeria, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has again wielded the big stick of punishment it used against governors of Ogun and Imo states, to punish the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.

Akeredolu has been said to be at loggerheads with the APC leadership for a while, as he was accused of various anti-party activities, including campaigning for opposition candidates during the just concluded general elections.

The decision for his suspension was made final after a meeting which was presided over by the APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, where the party claimed that Akeredolu’s breaches “greatly affected the fortunes of its candidates in the recently conducted presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.”

Herald Nigeria further gathered that some ranking members of the APC were displeased that Akeredolu, who committed the same offence as Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun and Rochas Okorocha of Imo, was not punished in the same way.

The party had earlier suspended Amosun, Okorocha, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru, and the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu, for alleged anti-party activities.

It accused the suspended members of campaigning openly for other political parties and candidates that were unknown to the APC, therefore constituting themselves as opposition to the APC candidates in their respective states.

Ahead of the general elections, Amosun threw his weight behind the state governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, Adekunle Akinlade, after the member of the House of Representatives failed to clinch the ticket of the APC.

Also in Imo State, Okorocha openly supported his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, of the Action Alliance, against the APC’s governorship candidate, Hope Uzodinma.

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Emeka Ihedioha, won the governorship election in the state.

The APC’s NWC had also accused Amosun of instigating thugs to unleash attacks on party chieftains at the presidential campaign rally held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, ahead of the presidential election.

When contacted, the Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Mr Yemi Olowolabi, said, “The matter is an internal affair of the APC, and whatever issues have arisen would also be addressed at the level of the party.

Speaking on the issue, the Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Mr Yemi Olowolabi, said, “The matter is an internal affair of the APC, and whatever issues have arisen would also be addressed at the level of the party.

“But, contrary to claims that he was suspended for not responding to the query him, it is not true. The governor never got a query from the party. We only read of it in the papers and you cannot respond to such.”

(Herald Ng/Punch)

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