Worried by the evolving development in some of the local government chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, the state leadership of the party has appealed to the statutory leaders of the party at the grassroots level in the state to exercise patience in pushing for the suspension of suspected members and leaders of the party who openly worked against the collective interest of the party during the series of the elections that were held in the state.
The state chairman of the APC, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement issued by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi, in Osogbo, the Osun State capital today, hinted that he could understand the feelings of the leaders of some of the local government areas who have announced the suspension of some of the suspected anti-party activists in their domains.
Lawal enjoined the local government party chairmen and their counterparts at the ward levels to exercise restraint and not to jump the gun in their efforts to bring sanity into the party.
The state APC chairman who assured the stakeholders of the party that there is no identified member of the party who worked against the collective interest of the party who would not be disciplined stated such could only be done by following the due process in order to give it a touch of legality.
Lawal reminded the members and leaders of the party that the Professor Isaac Adewole-led 11-member repositioning committee of the party in the state set up by its leader, former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, would surely address some of the issues bedeviling the party.
He enjoined those carrying out the suspension exercise to sheathe their swords as any suspension exercise which does not follow a due process would be leaving a questionable gap.
Lawal reminded the members that the APC which is a product of the law should be run in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.
In his words: “I am pleading with all our members that we should follow a due process on issues bothering on the running of the party.
“For instance, there is a due process in the constitution of our party that guides the suspension of any member from our party.
“Any other route to effect the suspension of any member from our party without recourse to the party’s constitution would hit the rock.
“It is expressly spelt out in our constitution that anyone who is accused of any offence in our party must be invited and allowed to defend himself.
“I am sure that the Prof Adewole-led repositioning committee which report is being awaited would address all the issues that have been causing nightmares for our members at both the state, local government and ward levels across the state.
My message is that we should exercise restraint and strictly follow the rules of law to run our party in our efforts to improve its fortune”, the state party chairman counselled.
E-SIGNED:
Sooko TAJUDEEN LAWAL, Chairman, Osun State APC.
