REINVIGORATION OF APC GETS UNDERWAY IN OBOKUN...... By ISAAC OLUSESI

 

There's no failure of leadership in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osun State. The political party has risen to the challenges of its present situation which is the hallmark of true leadership.

In fairness, APC in Obokun local government council area of the state has led by example. The Obokun APC got re- grouped as part of the next strategic steps after the Supreme Court's moral judgement against the party just as the party in the state is leaving behind it needless embroilement in unsetttled issues on some contextual factors with emphasis put almost exclusively on intra party dynamics, mathematically capable of creating a vacuum. And as we all know, progress as a political party, desiring to regain power, cannot be made off a decisive forward match to re- acquire political power, establish government and act as a link between the governed and government.

The Obokun APC leadership endeavoured to fill the vacuity or vacuum when the party chairmen in the 10- ward council area met all night last weekend at Ilare. And the meeting called at the instance of Otunba Jumoke Ogunkeyede (JMK) now that the party is no longer in government, had a free reins of shared thoughts, views and options, with a bigger picture of the party in mind because they believed the party would soon get better. And they signed up for the evaluation and prioritization of the party's overall values considered germane to revitalize the party in Obokun, mobilization for the party's increased membership and activable participation in the activities of the party, and open commitment in clearly unambiguous terms to win popular support for the party in Obokun by democratic elections. 

As though, refunding the party didn't take any center stage, the wealthy individuals in the party were solicited to give financial support to the party to enhance the party's financial and emotional stamina in the council area. It is axiomatic that the people who are financially dis- empowered operate from the point of weakness.

The APC ward chairmen in Obokun pledged to update the party leadership at the council level with needed information, other multiple points of views called feedback, for the coordination of the party in the council area. The ward party chieftains avoided repeating themselves but appreciated differing perspectives and never threw any away but were refined. Yes, there were no dissenting viewpoints as there were no dissenters to effect any fiendish scheme. Neither was the meeting brought under any siege of lackluster. 

Rather, the party in Obokun cautioned the party leaders and members in Osun against anti-party, intraparty divisions or cliques and defections which they said, could result from ill - bred  power play, territory scuffles and trickeries to exert undue impact on the elasticity of the party's internal democracy to a profound breaking point. The Obokun party ward chiefs particularly admonished Osun APC leaders and members  against recklessly personal political interests, lack of transparency, voided internal democracy, and imposition of candidates  at party primaries that could permit defection of party members, voluntarily to give up allegiance to the party or disobey the party leadership.

The Obokun APC ward chairmen, however, noted with delight that Osun APC was not bereft or barren of redemption of its campaign promises when the party was in power in the state, and that still makes the party attractive. They charged the party to continue to provide critical oversight and accountability of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government's processes, policies, actions and inactions to make the government party responsive, with the themes that are vital to the electorate.

Whatever vacuum there was in the state APC was substantially filled with the meeting of Obokun APC ward chairmen, perceptively from the points of relational egalitarianism under the paternalistic leadership of Otunba JMK, political activist and two times governorship aspirant in the state. 

Otunba JMK's laissez - faire, without obstructions to the contributions made at the meeting by the ward chairmen to the current state of the party is an understanding of his role as he facilitated and expedited the progress of the meeting, and kept discussions on the agenda which afforded the ward chairmen to express their viewpoints, unhindered. It wasn't difficult to secure well thought out views in an orderly manner and the meeting came to logical conclusion. And with Pa Samuel Ogunbiyi, designated as Chairman of the ward chairmen in the council area. Ogunbiyi, who's 83years old, ever strong, ever active, ever vibrant, has been in the progressive politics en route Action Group (AG), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and APC. 

 OLUSESI is the Deputy Director, Directorate of Publicity, Research & Strategy, All Progressives Congress (APC), Osun State .