A former Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Jumoke Akindele, has faulted as imbalanced the reconciliation committee set up by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to reconcile members of the party ahead of next year’s election.
In a statement, she described the committee headed by the Chairman of the State Oil Producing Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Prince Biyi Poroye, as ‘nonsense ‘.
To her, the committee would not achieve any result because its members are those whose candidates lost out.
The party had set up the reconciliation committee to reconcile aggrieved aspirants who lost out at the APC primary elections to select its candidates for the 2027 National Assembly elections,
Also, the former speaker accused some leaders of the party of anti-party activities ahead of the election. She said this may affect the chances of the party in the election.
She said: “It is no longer news that certain members of the APC in this state have decided to court and work for members of opposing parties seeking election into the various offices being contested for ahead of the January/February 2027 general elections.
“While some opine that the Governor is aware and indeed in support of those decisions, methinks it may be disingenuous for anyone to think so. Regardless of what I think of his politics, even he must be aware that to do so will be a suicidal move politically; a political harakiri for him to even contemplate it!
“Before I continue, I must dissociate myself from any moves that may disrupt the plan for an overwhelming return of votes for our presidential candidate, President Bola Tinubu, but I fear that these anti-party moves may inadvertently produce that unwholesome consequence.
“I did warn them that urgent reconciliation moves must begin immediately. That was more than three months ago. People who are bereft of the lessons of history pooh-poohed the idea. I will insist even now that unless appropriate reconciliatory moves are urgently put in place by the party at the national level, what obtains now is what may continue to happen across the state.
“I maintain that a party is a function of the people who are her members. If the machinery of the party is moved in a way that it is at dissonance with her people who, mind you, are flesh and blood, what you see right now in Ondo South is what you may see all across the State before December.
“I may condemn it, and I do so in no uncertain terms, but I also understand it. These people have been hurt. They are flesh and blood. They have a right to cry foul, and they certainly have the propensity to exact revenge on the party. You cannot beat a child and also tell him when and how to cry. It will amount to injustice.
“You see the reconciliation committee set up by the state party? It is nonsense. It is a whole set of candidates from a whole line of leadership that were “robbed”; it is now them that are setting up a reconciliation committee?! Who is offended? Who is seeking reconciliation? Who is supposed to appeal to whom? If the national party and/or the candidates themselves do not quickly set up their respective reconciliation committees, they will continue to experience these ruptures all around.
“Despite my above position, I want to appeal to all the disaffected or disgruntled members of the APC to please sheath their swords. In all we do, we must realise that we all have futures that must be protected. We have names which we hope will outlast us for good. To stay in a party and work against it is not only unconscionable, but it is dishonourable. You cannot allow yourself to be likened to the insect which lives under a leaf and yet feeds on the leaf. Let an untainted conscience be your guide.
“When the committees, local, state or national, get to you, please allow yourself to be appeased knowing that you cannot kill the future of your own children in party politics by your present dissatisfaction. Nkan ti a ba se l’oni, itan lo o ma da l’ola (whatever we do today becomes history that can be told tomorrow).
“Please note I’m neither for Paul nor for Apollo. I am for APC. I stand on the mandate of PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU for Continuity. Whatever it takes!”
