You Must Follow Due Process, Ogun APC tells Akinlade, Others

The Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday gave the Governorship Candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in the last election, Hon. Adekunle Akinlade and his supporters who defected back to the APC conditions for rejoining the party.

The Publicity Secretary of the APC Caretaker Committee in the State, Tunde Oladunjoye in a statement in Abeokuta, the State capital noted that the party was ready to receive the APM returnees with open hand, provided they follow due process.

Akinlade and thousands of his supporters at the APM Secretariat on Monday announced their defection back to APC after fifteen months of dumping the party.

But the APC in its response to the defection, urged the APM returnees to return to their various wards for registration and realignment.

Oladunjoye said, “APC is a party of the progressives and provides room for all. The party, at any point in time, is therefore ready to receive repentant members back into the fold.

“However, while we see the announced return of the APM members into our party as a welcome development, we are quick to add there is a process of joining or returning to our party in accordance with the party’s constitution and established procedures.

“Also, apart from going back to their various wards to re-enroll and reconcile with their people and leaders, it is also important for them to abide by the prevailing peace and decorum in Ogun APC and work under the Caretaker Executive formed by the National Working Committee of our party under the leadership of Chief Yemi Sanusi,” Oladunjoye said.

He added, “We urge all those who have cases against the party in courts to withdraw same without further delay. Only this will demonstrate their loyalty and sincerity.

“We wish to quote from the statement of the National Working Committee of the APC read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Lanre Issa-Onilu, on Monday, December 16, 2019 while announcing pardon for some suspended members: “We hope the concerned party members will seize this opportunity to fully reconcile themselves with their ward, local government, and state party structures, key into the party activities, and continue to make their own contributions to the growth and stability of the party. We urge them to also take steps to reconcile with groups and individuals that are important to ensuring a lasting solution to any conflict that may exist in their respective states.”

“We must also commend the steadfastness of our members who stood by us through thick and thin we promise that their interests will be adequately taken care of”, the statement concluded.