By Kolawole Ojebisi
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, has reiterated that the party’s is plotting to take over the whole southwest region.
Ganduje noted that nothing can stop the APC from taking the reins of power from occupants of the seats of power in Oyo and Osun which are the two remaining states where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reigns in the southwest geo-political zone.
He said:”There is no doubt this is a moment of joy. Seeing is believing and this is democracy in action. But what is more important is that all the major stakeholders believe that the election was free, fair and credible, especially INEC who provided the logistics arrangement and manpower.”
“The police, DSS, Civil Defence, military, the media, international organisations, international observers. Almost everybody believes that this election is free, fair and credible and what is important to the people of Ondo state is that since they elected APC, they elected our candidate, there would be continuity in government. There would be no abandonment of projects. There would be sustainability of programmes/projects.
“I congratulate the candidate himself because he is a product that is sellable. We are lucky that we have succeeded in selling him to the members of the public. We have to congratulate Mr President for providing an enabling environment.
“Our next target in the South West Geopolitical zone is Osun and Oyo states. You know we are good at hitting the target. We will do what is possible to bring them into the fold so that we can have more political opportunity in the South West Geopolitical zone.”
Recall that during a stakeholders’ meeting in Ondo last month, Ganduje had said the ruling party was working very hard to take over the entire South West geo-political zone ahead of the 2027 general election.
He stressed that both Oyo and Osun states must also be under the control of the progressive party to boost President Bola Tinubu’s support, especially in the south.
“In this geopolitical zone, we must deliver 100 percent in favour of APC. Therefore, Ondo State, you must be the forefrontl the two other states – Oyo and Osun – we will capture them, but I will not reveal our secret. We are strategising. Everything must be 100 per cent behind President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he had said.
The PDP did not take the remark lying down as it fired back at the ruling party saying its National Chairman’s words reek of totalitarianism and antithetical to democratic ethos.
Recall that former president Olusegun Obasanji blamed the successive administrations of the APC for the awful state of the nation on Saturday.
Obasanjo stressed that the country has been captured by the political elites presiding over it.
He added that these political actors have all the institutions at their beck and call.
“What is happening in Nigeria – right before our eyes – is state capture: The purchase of National assets by political elites – and their family members – at bargain prices, the allocation of national resources – minerals, land, and even human resources – to local, regional, and international actors. It must be prohibited and prevented through local and international laws.
“Public institutions such as the legislature, the executive, the judiciary, and regulatory agencies both at the federal and local levels are subject to capture. As such, state capture can broadly be understood as the disproportionate and unregulated influence of interest groups or decision-making processes where special interest groups manage to bend state laws, policies, and regulations.” Obasanjo said.moment of joy. Seeing is believing and this is democracy in action. But what is more important is that all the major stakeholders believe that the election was free, fair and credible, especially INEC who provided the logistics arrangement and manpower.”
“The police, DSS, Civil Defence, military, the media, international organisations, international observers. Almost everybody believes that this election is free, fair and credible and what is important to the people of Ondo state is that since they elected APC, they elected our candidate, there would be continuity in government. There would be no abandonment of projects. There would be sustainability of programmes/projects.
“I congratulate the candidate himself because he is a product that is sellable. We are lucky that we have succeeded in selling him to the members of the public. We have to congratulate Mr President for providing an enabling environment.
“Our next target in the South West Geopolitical zone is Osun and Oyo states. You know we are good at hitting the target. We will do what is possible to bring them into the fold so that we can have more political opportunity in the South West Geopolitical zone.”
During a stakeholders’ meeting in Ondo last month, Ganduje had said the ruling party was working very hard to take over the entire South West region ahead of the 2027 general election.
He stressed that both Oyo and Osun states must also be under the capture of the progressive party to boost President Bola Tinubu’s support, especially in the south.
The former Kano governor, however, noted that the strategy his party would put under wraps its strategy to pull off the seemingly difficult task
“In this geopolitical zone, we must deliver 100 percent in favour of APC. Therefore, Ondo State, you must be the forefrontl the two other states – Oyo and Osun – we will capture them, but I will not reveal our secret. We are strategising. Everything must be 100 per cent behind President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he had said.
The PDP did not take the remark lying down as it fired back at the ruling party saying its National Chairman’s words reek of totalitarianism antithetical to democratic ethos.
Recall that former president Olusegun Obasanji had recently blamed successive administrations of the APC for what he called the awful state of the nation on Saturday.
Obasanjo stressed that the country has been captured by the political elites presiding over it.
He added that these political actors have all the institutions at their beck and call.
