Ogun APC backs Dapo Abiodun’s Commissioners list
The Ogun State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday threw its weight behind Governor Dapo Abiodun’s list of Commissioners, describing the allegations of lopsidedness as a distraction for both the party and Abiodun-led administration.
Loyalists of former Governor Olusegun Osoba had on Sunday rejected the list, insisting that the list did not represent the proclamation by Abiodun, “that he will run all inclusive government in the State.”
They also alleged that some individuals, they described as “conservatively greedy business men and hijackers of power” had “hijacked the soul of the present administration in the State”.
But responding to the allegations made by Osoba’s loyalists, the Publicity Secretary of the party’s Caretaker Committee, Tunde Oladunjoye in a statement in Abeokuta on Tuesday, said the composition of the list was based on the lists of nominees sent by the party leaders to the Governor.
According to Oladunjoye, the conclusion reached at the party’s caucus meeting, on Friday, October 11 was that every leader of the party in each Federal Constituency should forward the list of candidates to be considered by the Governor as Commissioners.
Oladunjoye said, contrary to some people’s views that the list is lopsided, investigation by the party revealed that majority of the party members are satisfied with the list.
The statement read, “It would be recalled that at a State Caucus meeting of the party on Friday, October 11, 2019 attended by the State Governor, and our leader, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, it was directed that leaders of the party in each federal constituency should meet and forward the list of commissioner nominees to the party for onward transfer to the Governor. The instruction was followed to the latter.”
“The Governor’s eventual selection of the commissioner-designates was based on the lists signed and submitted by party leaders from all the nine federal constituencies in the state. In fact, the Governor actually deserves to be praised for submitting himself to party supremacy unlike what had obtained in recent past. The approach of Prince Dapo Abiodun was the same as that of our leader, Aremo Segun Osoba, during his tenure, as they both believe in the supremacy of the party.”
“The commissioner-designates, politicians and technocrats, are qualified people from their respective local governments and proud citizens of Ogun State, who were appointed on party’s meritorious recommendations and not because of allegiance to any political group or sectarian tendency. We plead with the few who may have misgivings or have not made the list, to allow the expressed will of the party leaders to prevail. It is too early for divisiveness and distractions.”
“From the opinion audit of our structures conducted last Saturday, so far, the list of Commissioners is a being praised by the overwhelming majority of our members for being composed of competent people, including a 36 years old nominee, and youth-oriented leaders. Respondents also demanded for more space for youths and women. The Governor has given his words to positively respond to the opinion audit.”
“On the demand for more women in the cabinet, we want to assure our women-focused organisations, many of who are supporters of our party at the last governorship elections, to keep faith with the Governor over his promise on women and youth inclusion in governance.
“The State Executive Council is not restricted to Commissioners only. The Dapo Abiodun-led administration had earlier appointed quite a number of cabinet ranking Special Advisers (SA), Senior Special Assistants (SSA) that are women,
in addition to the three commissioner-designates and more that are planned. The Administration knows and appreciates the role of women in development and this is why we have a woman Deputy Governor and a woman Head of Service.
Ogun is probably the only state in the South of Nigeria that has done this”, the statement concluded.
