The Southwest leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday canvassed the devolution of powers to the states. A former Interim National Chairman of the party, Bisi Akande, disclosed this after their meeting at the Oyo State Government House in Ibadan.
The leaders added that they did not support restructuring because it was not in the manifesto of the APC. Their position contradicted those of the Yoruba leaders, who held a summit in Ibadan last month, where they advocated restructuring along the line of regionalism.
The leaders also passed a vote of confidence in the party’s southwest governors and their political appointees at the federal level. Akande said: “We believe in the devolution of power, go and ask those canvassing restructuring what they meant by that. Restructuring is not in our manifesto, but we want states to be in position to explore their comparative advantages.”
He said the meeting of the leaders also allowed them to review the political situation in Ekiti and Osun states and strategise on how to win the governorship elections in those states.
Ajimobi urged the party leaders to sacrifice their personal ambitions to win the governorship elections, while lamenting the low turn-out of the people to register for the elections in the two states.
Governors Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, his counterparts in Osun, Rauf Aregbesola, Ogun, Ibikunle Amosu, Ondo, Rotimi Akeredolu, and the host, Abiola Ajimobi attended the meeting.
The Minister of Mines and Natural Resources Dr. Kayode Fayemi,and that of the Communication Ministry, Adebayo Shittu, the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Lasun Yusuf, the Majority Leader in the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Prof. Sola Adeyeye also attended.
Others were the zonal Chairman of the party, Pius Akinsulire, former Osun and Oyo state governors, Olagunsoye Ogunlola and Christopher Alao-Akala.The Minister of Works, Housing and Power, Babatunde Raji and Minister of Health Prof. Adeoye were however, absent.
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