Some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress in the Southwest have backed the ruling party’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, on his opposition to the granting of automatic tickets to lawmakers to stop them from defecting.
The Chairmen of the APC in Lagos and Osun states, Mr. Tunde Balogun and Chief Gboyega Famodun, hailed Oshiomhole’s stand on the matter, saying that the decision was not out of place.
The APC national chairman had, during a recent meeting with the caucus of APC lawmakers in the House of Representatives, ruled out the possibility of granting APC legislators automatic tickets in order to persuade them to remain in the party.
He had told the lawmakers that the best the party could offer them in line with its democratic practice was a level playing field for all members to test their popularity.
But speaking on the matter, the state chairman of the APC in Osun State said begging anyone with automatic ticket to stay behind in the party would amount to giving too much to people who had made up their minds to leave.
The Osun APC boss, who spoke through the party’s state Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, said that the decision by Oshiomhole not to grant the request for automatic ticket to anyone would not cost the party its electoral fortunes.
He said, “The decision to rule out automatic ticket will not cost the party anything. The automatic ticket is like you are begging people, who ordinarily will not do your bidding, but because you are throwing carrots to them, they will partially do your bidding. You see, whoever is not with you, is not with you.
“The house you do not belong, you do not belong in there. If it is because of automatic tickets that they are not going to go, it is better to go so we know how many people are left behind. I share the view of the chairman and I support him. The party should stand as a party and not stand as a mercenary in place.”
The state party chairman further said that the APC was only interested in addressing the issue of genuinely aggrieved members and to reconcile them, rather than begging anyone not to defect.
“The party is not begging defected members; they are only begging those who are genuinely aggrieved so that the point of disagreement can be addressed. Whosoever wants to go, will go, no matter what you do,” he said.
Speaking in the same vein, the APC chairman in Lagos argued that the party’s tickets should only be earned on merit only.
He also said through the state Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, that the decision by the APC national chairman would further promote democracy in the ruling party and the country at large.
He said, “If you have not done very well, you do not expect that you will return. What is paramount is your performance. Tickets should not be automatic, especially when people are contesting. What will not happen is for you to be handed a ticket without anybody contesting. You have to go to the people and get it; that is what the APC is saying. It is no longer going to persuade people to step down.
“You should go and do the primary; this
was done in Katsina. They did primaries; if everyone accepts you, then you are good to go. This is what I
know will grow our internal democracy. If you want
to go back and they accept you, then let it be. If you win, you will
go.”
