POLITICS: APC leaders, South West governors, ministers meet in Ibadan

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South West met yesterday in Ibadan, Oyo State capital to reconcile aggrieved parties within their fold and deliberate on the way forward. At the end of the over four-hour meeting, which held behind closed doors at the executive council chambers of the governor’s office, the leaders resolved to henceforth speak with one voice on national issues. At the meeting chaired by former Osun State governor, Chief Bisi Akande and convened by Governor Abiola Ajimobi were governors Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State and APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Others were ministers from the zone, which include that of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; Solid Minerals, Kayode Fayemi; Finance, Kemi Adeosun; Communications, Adebayo Shittu; Information and culture, Lai Mohammed; Health, Prof Isaac Adewole and Minister of State, Niger Delta Affairs, Claudius Daramola. Former governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, who addressed reporters at the end of the meeting said the APC is one in the zone and would henceforth speak with one voice on issues affecting it. Besides, he said the party examined its role and position in the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and had come out with resolutions, which would be “taken to Abuja.” Osoba said: “We met principally to discuss all the things that may be affecting Southwest and we have come out with a resolution to show that in the zone, there is unity of purpose. “The leadership is one, and we have resolved on all the issues that may be affecting the governance of this country and what should be the role and the influence that we should exercise as a group in the interest of this country and for the progress of our nation.” A source that spoke with The Guardian said the meeting was not about 2019 but the position of the Yoruba in the President Buhari administration and whether or not it is getting its desired share. The source said some leaders are worried about the turn of things in the south west APC and how the zone had been sidelined in the scheme of things due to internal bickering and leadership crisis.This, he said informed the decision of governor Ajimobi to convene the meeting with a view to ironing out issues and reconcile all aggrieved forces. While the leaders departed, Chief Akande later met with the ministers apparently to review the state of things at the national level.Although Osoba said the meeting was aimed at reviewing the position of the zone in the present administration of President Buhari, The Guardian learnt that the meeting was convened to actually reconcile the aggrieved leaders.