By James Orji

The South West parley of the All Progressives Congress, APC held in Lagos on Sunday without some key leaders of the ruling party attending. The development, close watchers of events in the region say, has further exposed the division among leaders from the zone.

Rising from the meeting yesterday, the leaders which included Bola Tinubu, the National leader of the APC and former Lagos state Governor supported the decision of the Southern Governors Forum, SGF to ban open grazing in the south but disagreed with some Yoruba leaders clamoring  for secession.

“We endorse the position of the Southern Governors taken at their May 11, 2021 summit in Asaba, Delta State, regarding ranching. We do so because such a decision will lessen tensions between farmers and herders while also helping the long-term economic viability of both the farming and herding communities,” the APC south west leaders said.

But key Yoruba leaders including Governors Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state, shunned meeting. Apart from the two governors, the minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, a close ally of Tinubu did not also attend.

The magazine had reported, earlier in the week, that some of these leaders will shun the meeting, which they believed was meant to further the presidential ambition of Tinubu, who had yet to declare his intention to run for the nation’s highest office, even though there are clear signs that he’s positioning himself to succeed the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari whose tenure expires in 2023.

While Fayemi is said to be interested in the Presidency, Akeredolu has not been very close to Tinubu due to some political reasons affecting his state. On his part, Aregbesola was said not to be in the good books of Tinubu lately, due to political development in his state, Osun where he’s in a serious conflict with Governor Oyetola, who is a cousin to the former Lagos Governor.

Watchers of Lagos politics told the magazine that the disagreement between Tinubu and Aregbesola may have been the reason why the Minister was not invited to the Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC meeting held last week in Lagos. Aregbesola was until  now, a key member GAC, made up of Tinubu’s allies who advise the governor on key issues affecting the state.

Others that attended the APC parley, held at the Lagos House, Marina, where important decisions were reached on issues affacting the region and the country, include the Speakers of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, Governors Babajide Sanwo Olu, Gboyega Oyetola and Dapo Abiodun, of Lagos, Osun and Ogun states respectively. The leaders also include former Interim National Chairman of APC, Bisi Akande, Tinubu and Segun Osoba, a veteran journalist and former Governor of Ogun state, amongst others.

Akande who read the communique at the end of the meeting expressed opposition to the separatists’ agitation by some Yoruba leaders, including Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho.

Part of the communique read, “The Leaders commiserate with and condole the President and Commander-in-Chief, President Muhammadu Buhari, the military authorities, families of the Chief of Army Staff and other officers who died, and indeed the entire nation over last Friday’s tragic plane crash in Kaduna.

“They express their strong opposition to separatist agitations and hate speeches. While urging those indulging in such to desist forthwith, they renew their belief in the unity, stability and sustainability of the country.

“We note with significant concern the security situation in the country. Terrorism and violent criminality threaten many areas, adversely affecting the lives and livelihoods of too many innocent and peace-loving Nigerians.”

The leaders urged the federal government to share the country’s resources equitably among the federating units.

According to them “While mindful of the resource and other constraints facing the nation, we urge the federal government to continue to make the necessary expenditures and allocate sufficient resources to enable the military and security agencies to tackle the difficult security challenges confronting us.

“For Nigeria to overcome these challenges, we must do so with unity of purpose and action. The desire for peace and the chance for a prosperous and just society is universal and transcends all regional, religious or ethnic divisions.”

They also restated their support for the unity of the country, adding that the government should make concerted efforts to address those issues causing problems among all sub nationals.  They called on all Nigerians to join hands with the government in its efforts to tackle insecurity in the country.

The communique further stated that “Sadly, many public figures have made statements that spark division and undermine the needed unity of purpose. We urge government at all levels, security agencies, and public leaders across the country to do everything possible to prevent tension so that we sustain the necessary unity to defeat these challenges to our national security.

“All responsible Nigerians must speak and act in a manner that strengthens our common cause against these common threats to our collective peace, justice and development.

“We restate our abhorrence of violence as a means to achieve either political or economic power and influence. We strongly condemn violence of any form in any part of the country, regardless of ethnic or regional identity of the perpetrators of the violence or of the victims. Government must do all it can to protect potential victims and to assist those who have previously been victimized by terrorism or widespread banditry.”