The Alhaji Rasaq Salinsile led faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun has lauded the National Executive Council NEC of the party for deeming it fit to include the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in the Presidential Campaign Council, despite obvious opposition from some quarters.
The Salinsile led APC, at its stakeholders meeting held in Osogbo, on Tuesday noted that it is a big relief that the party’s national leadership has eventually taken the right decision on the matter of mutual inclusion of relevant individuals and groups to the party operations.
Speaking at the meeting, Salinsile said: “Rather than relying on some people’s whims and caprices which are often products of their emotions and or selfish interests, the Senator Abdullahi Adamu led National Executive has confirmed that it is capable of taking dispassionate decisions in the best interests of APC.”
He noted that it would have been a minus to the party not to include a man of Aregbesola’s status in the campaign Council, considering his antecedents as a grassroots politician with admirers and followership in many states.
Salinsile speaks further: “It is clear that the Senator Abdullahi Adamu National Executive must have taken proper notice of the fact that Aregbesola provided adequate leadership and courage in the return of progressives politicians to government in a gruesome struggle between 2003 and 2010, after showing tremendous classical support for continuous rulership of the progressives politicians in Lagos”
“It is doubtless that the National APC Exco were convinced that Aregbesola, having been a successful Commissioner in Lagos, successful two terms Governor in Osun and his impactful current contributions to the federal cabinet should not be ignored for whatever selfish reasons been bandied by some people.
“Thus, it is our view that the National decision makers should be given kudos for having eyes for merit, determined love and commitment to the success of our party and the courage to execute it without caring whose ox is gored.”
Salinsile urged the APC national executive to bring to bear, its unwavering commitment to APC, the clear understanding of dispassionate running of a political party as it has just demonstrated, on to the resolution of the Osun APC crisis.
He stated: “We note that the political novice and puppets who masquerade as leaders in Osun seemed to be poised for the total and irredeemable collapse of our party, as they exhibit unperturbed attitudes even when they have taken the party to dangerous precipice with the last election.
“For instance, the so called Osun APC leadership has furthered the discontent and division within their Ilerioluwa group with the “you can go to hell” manner they handled the primary election for local governments polls held few weeks back.
“Within themselves, they exhibited so much impunity in the choices of who runs for what by virtue of imposition facilitated by lucre and nepotism.
“Those who feel cheated in the exhibition of crass impunity have angrily left for PDP or licking their hurtful wounds and or joined siddonlook group.
“Thus, it is the conclusion of the meeting of Osun APC led by Alhaji Rasaq Salinsile that the National Secretariat will be doing our state party chapter a great deal of service if it could take decisive steps in resolving the crisis that has not done us all any good.”
The meeting noted that The Osun Progressives’s (TOP) position that a well-run, vibrant and election winning APC is sacrosanct and remain the essence of its position.
