All Progressives Congress has vowed to punish Ogun State Governor, Mr Ibikunle Amosun, for allegedly instigating thugs that attacked leaders of the party, including National Chairman, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, at the presidential rally in Abeokuta on Monday.
The crowd at the rally pelted Oshiomhole with stones and water sachets when he introduced Mr Dapo Abiodun as the governorship candidate of APC in Ogun State.
Other leaders of the party, including Mr Bola Tinubu, were booed at the campaign, which was marred by violence involving APC and Allied Peoples Movement’s supporters.
Spokesman for APC Caretaker Committee in the state, Mr Tunde Oladunjoye, had on Monday alleged that hoodlums who disrupted the rally were sponsored by Amosun.
Expressing regrets at the disruption of the campaign, APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Lanre Issa-Onilu, in a statement on Tuesday said those responsible for the “premeditated attacks” would be dealt with.
The party said the sanction would be delayed till after the elections.
The statement said, “This is one act of indiscipline too many. APC will not condone acts of indiscipline, indiscretion and anti-party activities from any party member no matter how highly placed.
“The party will review this gross misconduct of deliberately positioning thugs to attack and embarrass the President and the party leadership. The party will take a decision on this matter immediately after the elections.
“It must be stated that party supremacy and discipline, according to our constitution, are not matters of choice but binding principles which must be adhered to by all party members.
“APC is a party known for discipline, justice, fairness and equality, hence any plan to destroy what this party stands for would be rejected. No single person will be allowed to put his personal and selfish interest ahead of the wishes of people of Ogun State and elsewhere.”
APC said the decision of National Working Committee on post-primaries remained unbendable.
“Post-primaries, the decision of National Working Committee to uphold the wishes of party members is unbendable. Therefore, whatever means being presently deployed by persons intending to undermine the wishes of the people for personal gains will not be tolerated.
“We urge our teeming party supporters and members not to be disturbed by Monday’s condemnable incident. We urge all to continue trooping out en masse for our remaining campaigns and vote massively for all and only APC candidates in the forthcoming general elections,” the statement added.
NWC’s stock-in-trade is media trial – Amosun’s faction
Although Issa-Onilu did not mention the governor’s name in the statement, Publicity Secretary of the pro-Amosun APC faction in the state, Mr Wole Elegbede, when contacted on telephone, described the threat by the national leaders of the party as a media trial and jungle justice.
Elegbede, who spoke with one of our correspondents,said, “It is common for National Working Committee of the party to subject members of APC in Ogun State to media trial and jungle justice.”
He added, “The dissolution of APC executive in the state was done without inviting us to face any disciplinary committee in accordance with the constitution of the party. They just announced the dissolution in the media. That is nothing but media trial and jungle justice. They have started again. This issue of disciplining the governor of Ogun State will end up the same way. We believe that it will end up the same way: Jungle justice and media trial.”
…blames national leadership for protest
He also blamed the national leadership for the protests and the disruption of the rally.
He said, “APC, Ogun State chapter under the leadership of Mr Derin Adebiyi, will not like to reply anyone. But what happened involved APC supporters in the state. Some supporters are aggrieved over the emergence of Dapo Abiodun as governorship candidate, while some like it.
“But our APC supporters are happy with Mr Buhari and are ready to vote for him in the forthcoming election.
“As you can see, all APC supporters agree to vote for Buhari, What really happened could be traced to the emergence of Abiodun as the governorship candidate.”
When asked whether his faction of APC was happy with the development or not, he said, “No dedicated member of the party will be happy at such development. What happened was caused by the leadership at the national level.
“What happened was not planned by anybody. It was not planned by the governor, and it was just a spontaneous reaction from aggrieved members who do not like the emergence of Abiodun.”
Punch