APC urged to initiate reconciliation

Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja

 

THE leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been urged to initiate reconciliation moves with aggrieved stakeholders in the party as well as splinter groups in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to win next month’s election in Bayelsa State.

A youth platform in the APC in Bayelsa State, the Young Stakeholders Forum (YSF), which gave the advice in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Charles Ibinabo, and made available to reporters in Abuja yesterday, advised the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the leader of the party in Bayelsa State, who is the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, to lead the process.

The group said: “Now is the most auspicious time for the APC to take over the state. But the party has to close ranks within the state chapter by doing everything to get the aggrieved aspirants during the governorship primaries and their followers back on board to support the party to win the November 16 election.”

It enjoined the party leadership working with the Presidency to go beyond the party and win support, adding that overtures should be made to critical political factors in the state like the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Timi Alaibe and his political family, as well as former APC Chairman in the state, Chief Tiwe Orunimighe, and the former APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Timi Frank, who had predicted victory for APC, among others.

The body said it had started the reconciliation and expansion process by setting up a five-man delegation to meet Chief Alaibe, Chief Orunimighe and Frank, who is in Dubai, among others before the election.

It appealed to Sylva to forget about whatever might have happened between him and the aforementioned persons in the past and give peace a chance to achieve the desired goal for the party.

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“Alaibe’s political family cannot be ignored in Bayelsa politics. This is a man with supporters across the parties in the state and being a former APC leader in the state, he should be talked to.

“For the former APC state Chairman, Chief Tiwe Orunimighe and the former APC spokesman, Timi Frank, their support becomes necessary because of their antecedents, the area they come from and their influence in Bayelsa politics.

“In 2015, Timi Frank was in APC and his prediction of the then candidate of the party came to pass. He has also said APC will take over Bayelsa in the coming election. We should embrace these voices and bring them on board to achieve victory.

“We recall that in the last governorship election in Osun State, the party stakeholders reached out to members of the opposition parties like Chief Oyiola Omisore and it brought about victory for APC.

“We also know that the PDP is desperate to win the state again, and it has set up a reconciliation panel headed by former Senate President Bukola Saraki. We expect our party to move fast and reach out to those we think can add value to APC winning more states in the Southsouth,” the group said.