The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has urged the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje, to constitute reconciliation committees to unite aggrieved members of the party nationwide.
The speaker said some members of the APC are not happy, which is why effort must be made to bring them back into the party’s fold.
Speaking at the APC stakeholders’ meeting for the North West zone in Kaduna on Sunday, Abbas said a deliberate move to woo aggrieved members back to APC would augur well for the party.
A statement issued on Sunday by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Musa Krishi quoted Abbas as saying, “I want to call on the National Chairman and our party executive to ensure peaceful coexistence among all party members. We are bedeviled with many issues in different states, and every local government.
“It is time to draw a line. Elections are over; this is the time for governance. We should forget what has happened; forgive one another.
“The speaker said some members of the APC are not happy.”
“I want to suggest to the National Chairman, and by extension, the National Vice Chairman, to, as a matter of urgency, constitute reconciliation committees for the zone and for every state to constitute the same reconciliation committees so that we can make peace and bring those that we may have offended back to the party.”
Speaker Abbas also urged Ganduje to make use of his office in addressing the high turnover rate of members of the National Assembly, saying APC members who perform well should be allowed to return in 2027.
“On the issue of the high turnover of members of the National Assembly, this is a golden opportunity under your tenure to ensure that you do everything humanly possible for current APC members of the National Assembly and States Houses of Assembly to return in 2027.
“Some people may say others are waiting. But I need to emphatically mention that the National Assembly is an institution where the older you are in the system, the better you become.
“Today, the North West, based on the 2023 elections, is worse off. That is the reason; perhaps, we did not get the kind of prominence we should have gotten. So, let’s ensure that only the worst of us do not get re-elected. We should allow the competent ones to return to the National Assembly,” he pleaded.
The Speaker commended President Bola Tinubu for supporting prominent North West leaders in key positions in his government.
“We thank Mr President for finding the North West worthy of many important positions. This is the first time that we have the Speaker, the Deputy President of the Senate and the National Chairman of our party emerging from the zone.
“To whom much is given, much is expected. It is our turn to appreciate Mr President, to appreciate our party by ensuring that we do everything humanly possible to bring dividends of democracy to our people; to ensure that the insecurity that has bedeviled our zone is brought to its logical conclusion; to also ensure that in 2027, we redouble our efforts for the APC to do better in every ward, every local government, every state and the country as a whole,” the statement also quoted the Speaker as saying.
He called on party leaders at different levels to support the party structures, saying “What I observed is that attention is given to the party when elections are near. After elections, nothing moves, nothing happens.
“I want to implore us, the leaders, to support our party not only during elections but at all times. That’s the only way we can guarantee success for our party.
“On our part at the National Assembly, we’ll sit with the leadership of the party in the North West to come up with some measures of support. I’ve already briefed the National Chairman during our last meeting that we would reach out to every member to ensure that every month, something is sent to the party to support it. We expect that all members of state caucuses will replicate the same.”
On the ongoing constitution amendment by the National Assembly, Speaker Abbas said, “This is an opportunity for us in the North West to sit down and bring up the areas that we can do better as a country.
“We want to see if we can replicate what we did in the 8th Assembly by empowering all our senators and Honourable members to go back to their constituencies on an appointed date to interact with the people, giving them the areas of priority so that by the time we come back, every member will vote based on the mandate given by his people.”
Oyebanji not spending $500,000 on US trip – Ekiti government
Bright Jacob
Ekiti State Government said on Sunday that allegations that Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s ongoing working visit to the United States has gulped $500,000 of the state resources were untrue.
Special Adviser (Media) to the Governor, Yinka Oyebode, who said it was also untrue that the governor had 20 persons on the trip to the US, added that figures, which he said were fictitious, existed in the imagination of the publishers and sponsors of the allegation.
An online medium had on Sunday said that the governor was on a jamboree in the United States, claiming that he has failed to return in two weeks despite travelling for a four-day event.
The media had alleged that the trip had 20 persons in the governor’s entourage and had gulped $500,000 tax payers’ money.
But Oyebode, who in a statement in Ado Ekiti on Sunday said that the state government would not succumb to blackmail, stated, “We urge well-meaning citizens of the state and Nigerians in general to disregard the dubious publication which is bereft of substance.”
He added, “As a responsible government, we also consider it appropriate to re-state here that Governor Oyebanji followed due protocols in embarking on the trip, which was well publicized.
“He has not exceeded the time allocated for the trip. He has not derailed from the purpose of the trip and he will be back in the country this week after the outlined tasks.
“It is important to place on record that Biodun Oyebanji remains focused on the all-round development of Ekiti State through effective implementation of his six-pillar development agenda.”
Oyebode stated that the governor remained committed to his administration’s shared prosperity agenda, adding that “a thousand and one lies and sponsored stories” could not distract him.
Adeleke expresses satisfaction at performance after 18 months in office
TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has rated his performance in office high one year and six months after his administration assumed governance in the state.
The governor also extended his appreciation to Osun people for their resolute support of his administration in its quest to deliver on his five point agenda on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party.
A statement by the governor’s spokesperson on Sunday disclosed that Governor Adeleke while addressing a technical meeting of his Policy Coordination Unit on Saturday, reviewed the implementation of his five point agenda and expressed satisfaction at the delivery so far across the various sectors.
Governor Adeleke was quoted as saying at the review meeting that, “I am largely satisfied with our programme implementation so far. We have surpassed expectations and targets within one and half years in office. We just need to redouble our efforts as we face mid-term in the next six months.
“The feedback from the public has been quite encouraging. Our people have gladly given us an A-rating in workers’ welfare, infrastructure, health, education and many more. We must express our appreciation to our people
“They are happy we are delivering on good governance. A friend said our approval rating is over 80 percent. I told him I must work harder in some areas, especially that 20 percent gap. The good thing is we are just one and half years in office.
“Our party has also become very entrenched across the local governments. Leaders who were not with me during the guber primaries are now solidly with us. We are gaining more ground as people get pleasant surprises with our performance.
“Feedback shows our people are happy with our dual effort at physical and stomach infrastructure. We will continue to build the road and the people. We will not neglect human development for physical development.
“We must therefore ensure proper coordination in policy design and implementation. Our policy innovation in power, digital economy, agriculture, general economic planning, investment drive, sustainable development, youth development and gender focus must be properly harnessed under the five point agenda.”
According to the statement, the Policy coordination unit within the Governor’s office reports to the Chief of Staff to the Governor.
