to ensure that its nomination of Senator Daniel Gbenga Aluko to fill the
vacancy of Deputy National Chairman(South) is respected, as other
interest groups from the region escalates scheming to install a former
governor in the position.
The APC chapter in Ekiti had, over the weekend, held a meeting to decide
on a candidate following a note from the national body of the party
seeking its nomination of a suitable candidate for the office of the
Deputy National Chairman (South) in response to the notification to fill
the vacant position from the National headquarters of the party.
The chapter, in a letter addressed to Pastor Bankole Oluwajana, National
Vice Chairman and Zonal Chairman,
South West Caucus of the APC, titled: Re: Replacement of Deputy National
Chairman (South) informed the party’s national leader that going by
precedence, the state’s should be the one to occupy the office, which
was earlier occupied by the current Minister of Trade and Industry,
Otunba Niyi Adebayo.
The post of Deputy National Chairman was zoned to Ekiti State. However,
according to sources, a section of the party from the south west some
party leaders from the region are working hard to get the position for
former governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajumobi. They are also said
have secured the support of National Chairman of the party, Adams
Oshiomhole. Incidentally, Oshimhole himself benefitted from the extant
arrangement as he got into office to replace another Edo politician,
Chief Odigie Oyegun.
”It is all about 2023,” the source said, speaking on condition of
anonymity. ”You know this is a powerful position. So, some politicians
want to violate the rule so that they could install their own person in
the position for personal benefits.”
The source said although the APC Zonal executive meeting held on Tuesday
in Osogbo should have been the place to announce the name of the new
national official, this could not happen because of the disagreement.
The Ekiti chapter however successfully prevented what would have been a
coronation of Ajimobi as the zone’s nominee for the office.
The Ekiti APC’s letter, signed by its Chairman, Paul Omotosho, reads:
”We present our compliments to the APC Zonal executive, meeting in
Osogbo, Osun State, Tuesday February 4, 2020.
”We write to inform the zonal caucus that the Ekiti State chapter of
the party met in Ado Ekiti today, 2nd February, 2020 to deliberate on
the nomination of a suitable candidate for the office of the Deputy
National Chairman (South) in response to the notification to fill the
vacant position from the National headquarters of the party.
”We are pleased to inform the South West Caucus of our decision to
nominate Senator Daniel Gbenga Aluko to fill the vacancy of Deputy
National Chairman(South). Our National Working Committee (NWC)
represents a tremendous amount of talent, experience and wisdom and we
are convinced that Senator Aluko will be an invaluable addition to this
important party organ.
”Senator Aluko is an extremely well regarded and experienced party
loyalist. He is an entrepreneur, industrialist and politician. He served
as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and in that capacity, he
became a Principal Officer as the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate
between 1999-2003.
”The Zonal executive may note that that the position of the Deputy
National Chairman became vacant on the appointment of Otunba Adeniyi
Adebayo from Ekiti State as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Otunba Adebayo served almost two years of a four-year tenure as
prescribed by the Constitution of the All Progressives Congress, 2014
(as amended).
”We wish to specifically draw the attention of the South West Caucus to
the existing precedence on the replacement of members of NWC in previous
instances where vacancies arose when the incumbent office holders were
unable to complete their tenure.
”It has been the practice of our party that where a vacancy occurs in
NWC, it shall be filled on the recommendation of the State Executive
Committee from where the vacancy arose. Members of the South West Caucus
may recall that when the position of National Publicity Secretary became
vacant on the appointment of Alhaji Lai Mohammed from Kwara State as
Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Party referred the
matter to the North Central Zonal Caucus who then nominated Mallam
Bolaji Abdulahi also from Kwara State as Mallam Abdulahi’s replacement.
Even in the wake of the Party convention in 2018, the position was
retained in Kwara State with the nomination of Lanre Issa-Oniru. Indeed,
subsequent replacements of party officials with uncompleted terms have
followed this sensible precedents.
”We humbly urge the South West Zone to affirm this precedent on the
replacement of NWC members who are unable to complete their tenure, from
the State where such vacancy occurred and to further support the
nomination of Senator Gbenga Aluko as Deputy National Chairman
(South).”