Akeredolu Says Completion Of National Convention Beginning Of Stability In APC

By Ayodele Oni

South West Governors Forum,(SGF) has described the outcome of the National Convention of the ruling All Progressive Congress, (APC), as the beginning of unity and cohesion in the party.

The Governor of Ondo State and Chairman, South West Governors’ Forum, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, expressed optimism that the outcome of the National Convention would  provide an inspiring enabler for cohesion and stability.

Governor Akeredolu, who doubles as the Chairman of the Southern Nigeria Governors’ Forum has, therefore, admonished all contestants for various positions to leverage on the strength of their commitment to serve the party at different levels.

These were contained in a statement in Akure on Sunday on his behalf by the Commissioner for Information, Mr Donald Ojogo.

“We must consider the resolve to serve the people, even at the party level, a commendable strive. At times like this, such strives are of courage.

“They are borne out of individual zeal and passion for the party. Such efforts are undoubted, replete with brighter prospects–that we can shape the party stronger today, for tomorrow.

“As party leaders and faithful of varied but strongly-nested leverages and responsibilities, we have played the game not for our selfish interests even if our individual desires to serve as well as the purposeful drives to achieve same may have differed.

“Notwithstanding, our collective, though unsung instincts were incurably geared toward the common goal of altruistic service to the party.

“We must, therefore, at this point, put the past behind us for the greater objective to serve the people and the larger society through the instrumentality of the party platform.

“We have all won together. As such, the responsibility to build together is for us all irrespective of who emerged or whose aspirations are yet to come to fruition. God’s time is the best.

“We congratulate our new National Chairman, Distinguished Senator Abdullahi Adamu, our own very dear Senator(Otunba) Christopher Iyiola Omisore, national secretary; Hon Duerimini Isaacs Kekemeke, National Vice Chairman (South West) as well as other lucky ones from the Southwest.

“For the newly-elected, here is a huge possibility of better days ahead of us all; and clearly, a greater opportunity for oneness, more than ever before, has again, berthed. Galvanize us for the enormous task ahead.

“You have our mandate, as Governors and leaders of our various states, to provide quality leadership because your individual capacities to so do have never been in doubt.

“On our part, we shall be ceaseless in engaging you constructively throughout your tenure in office.

“President Muhammadu Buhari(GCFR), the CECPC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all other leaders of the APC deserve to be commended and congratulated too.

“They have jointly and severally demonstrated in no small measure, an appreciable degree of leadership in the course of this process to chart a fresh path to enhance unity.”

Akeredolu had, a couple of weeks ago, faced a backlash, and a subtle reprimand by President Muhammadu Buhari, when he used uncouth  language to dismiss some APC Governors who did not agree with the removal of the Party’s Interim National Officers, without due process. He called them “yahoo-yahoo Governors.”

The “yahoo-yahoo Governors”,  however, prevailed at the end.