Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has said the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State is purging itself of unwanted members through expulsion.
The APC in Osun had recently expelled a former factional chairman, Rasaq Salinsile, and 83 others belonging to the Omoluabi Caucus led by a former governor, Rauf Aregbesola, while it also suspended a former secretary to the state government, Moshood Adeoti, and 25 others for alleged involvement in anti-party activities.
Oyetola, who spoke in Osogbo on Thursday at a mini reception organised in his honour by the party’s leadership in Osun, explained why he endorsed expulsion and suspension of the erring APC members and urged the committed ones to work harder and build the party.
“Ours is thanksgiving for all that God has done for us. We thank God that our victory was affirmed by the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal yesterday (Wednesday). It affirmed the victory of our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Truly we were struggling for a second term but God knows it is not yet time, He gave us a president and today, he has given us a minister. I am happy that our party is united and formidable. We are truly removing chaff from the grains, and by the grace of God, our party will be structured.
“APC is our party and it belongs to every one of us. If truly it is our common patrimony, then, nobody should think of destroying the party. There is room for reconciliation. We are for genuine reconciliation not otherwise,” he said.
“It is incumbent on us all to build the party not to destroy it. We must endeavour to ensure that whoever wants to reconcile is truly ready for it and he or she must be remorseful of his or her past misdeeds.
“I want the loyalists of our party to remain steadfast not to be depressed by the events that led us to where we are. We thank God that we won the centre. The era of empowerment has come,” the governor added.
Meanwhile, Oyetola has assured that the report of the Prof Isaac Adewole committee saddled with the responsibility of repositioning the party would be implemented.
Speaking in Osogbo on Friday while receiving the report of the committee, the minister said, “We have listened carefully to the report and the next step is for the party to set up an implementation committee which shall review the recommendations and take appropriate steps to implement the recommendations.
“We assure you that we shall implement the recommendations of the committee in a manner that will help to reposition the party.
“We have resolved to work together to sustain the development, peace and progress of APC in Osun State. As a party, we shall continue to harness our resources to take care of the youths, women and the generality of the party members.”
Speaking earlier, Adewole recalled how the disconnection between the party and government, poor leadership, irregular payment of salaries and pensions, poor reward system, imposition by party leaders, among others caused the failure of the APC in the state.
