Osun Newly Elected APC Legislators Charged to be Disciplined, Selfless in Service

By Abiodun Ogunrinde, Ibadan

Newly elected National and State legislators in Osun state have been urged to be disciplined and selfless in the discharge of their duties as enshrined in the Constitution.

They were also charged to, at all times, uphold the tenets of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, on whose platform they were elected.

The Chairman, Igbimo Agba of Osun APC, Engr. Sola Akinwumi disclosed this during a two-day seminar entitled: “The Role of Political Parties In The Sustenance of Democracy ” organised for elected Federal and State legislators in Osun state on Thursday.

Akinwumi stressed that the popularity of a party and its ability to win elections depend on the acceptability of its core ideological value.

He noted that party supremacy is basic to democratic governance and a candidate is elected because the electorate considers that the party’s programmes are the most preferred.
“Every member is subject to the party, no matter how rich or educated a party member or an elected official is, he or she is under the control of the party.”

While stressing on the need for party members to be disciplined, he noted that party discipline is one of the necessary conditions for an effective and responsible party administration.

“The series of crisis plaguing the APC in many states today are results of indiscipline among the leaders and members of the party.

“The lack of cohesion and discipline with the ruling APC led to a string of defections and some electoral losses just as it happened to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.”

The elder statesman said parties must be allowed to operate in accordance with their core values in order to be able to entrench their supremacy and enforce disciplines.

He called on the newly elected legislators to do a critical analysis of the effect of money on their elections and see whether such an exercise can be sustained for a long time.

He tasked the progressive minded party members to as a matter of fact, take the issue of party financing seriously than hitherto.

Also speaking, the state chairman of the party, Prince Gboyega Famodun advised the lawmakers not to rebel against the party but work with its leadership to bring about party cohesion.

He said: “If you cast back your minds, you will recall that some other aspirants slugged it out with you during the primaries of our party at various times for various offices, so you must be at peace with everyone in the party.”

He advised the legislators to be at peace with their erstwhile intra-political foes in the interest of sound stability of the party at various levels.

Famodun while speaking on constituency projects said that it is common to some past elected party office holders to flagrantly shun their constituents and become incommunicado.

He noted that there are some constituents whose demands are elastic, hence, the need for them to state the true position of their finances to them than running away.

He, therefore, called for a periodic briefing of activities which according to him, goes a long way to show how accountable they are.

In his address, the Osun state governor, Gboyega Oyetola while appreciating the organisers of the programme noted that it came at a time when the relationship between political parties and their legislators needed adjustment.

The governor who was represented by his deputy, Benedict Alabi thanked the present and previous leaderships of the party, the legislature and the executive for their good examples which have delivered peace and sustainable development to the state.

He emphasised the need for party decisions to flow from bottom up so that members can identify with decisions taken and enjoyed a sense of belonging.

“The character of a party determines the worth of its elected members and consequently, the value of their services to the people.

“The party must regularly engage in intellectual and functional discourse to provide well thought out and people-oriented policies, direction and guidance.”

He charged the legislators-elect and party members to resolve to implementing the outcomes of the seminar so that the collective mandate of the party can be proudly delivered.