APC Aggrieved Group Frowns Over Governor Akeredolu’s Style Of Leadership

By Niyi Olutunde, Akure

A group within the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC in Ondo state, ‘Sola Iji Campaign Organisation’ (SICO), has frowned over the style of governance of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu-led administration saying things are not working under his administration.

The group alleged that the governor has performed woefully in terms of infrastructure in the state in last three years

This was contained in a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday in Akure by the Director of Media Services of Ambassador Sola Iji, Prince Sola Aregbesola.

Iji, is one of the governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and current Ambassador to the Republic of Togo.

Iji said the report obtained from the 18 local government areas of the state showed that the APC members are no longer on the same page with Akeredolu.

According to him, this might affect the chances of the party in the forthcoming October 10 governorship election.

He added that some of the party members whose shoulder Governor Akeredolu rode to power has been neglected and schemed out.

He noted that the neglect was compounded by unfriendly disposition of the state party’s Chairman, Ade Adetimehin to embrace all warring groups back to the APC fold.

“In the report freshly compiled by SICO, APC leaders, wards and local government exco members across Ondo State pitiably lamented their lots saying they have never had it so bad in terms of complete sidelining on party matters.

“There is jettisoning of normal consultations between the state government and local government leaders or consideration of qualified APC members for appointment, absence of patronage and embarrassing refusal of progress-making suggestions by party leaders at the grassroots level on the occasions in which they were forwarded to the Akeredolu administration.

“The report affirmed that APC meetings at ward and local government levels, a normal feature of democratic governance anywhere in the world, sadly had become a thing of the distant past in the sunshine state,” he stated.

He explained that the decision of APC members at the grassroots level to pitch their tent with Sola Iji, was based on the robust and all-inclusive style that Iji adopted in his days as party chairman of Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and APC on interim.

“Presently, Sola Iji can boast of having solid campaign structures on ground in all the 18 local government areas as his local government campaign coordinators are working hard on the field to ensure vibrant political support across the length and breadth of Ondo State for Ambassador Sola Iji’s aspiration,” he stated.

He said that the APC grassroots seemed to have resolved to massively support a aspirant Sola Iji, who he said had integrity and was devoid of arrogant carriage and was sure to carry the party members along in his day to day activities when elected as governor.

Reacting, Director of Media and Publicity of APC in the state, Mr Steve Otaloro described the allegation as “pure politics”.

He said Akeredolu was not only concerned about the well-being of the party’s members but the entire state.