The leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the Akoko South East local government of Ondo State have debunked a press statement issued by the member representing Akoko South East in the state House of Assembly, Hon. Muritala Suleiman on their behalf.
The leaders of the party cautioned the lawmaker of his unguided utterances and actions that bring the name of the party and the local government into disrepute, in a statement signed by
Dr. Agesin Emmanuel and issued to newsmen on Tuesday.
The statement reads, “Our attention has been drawn to a press statement e-signed by the member representing Akoko South East in the Ondo State House of Assembly, Hon. Murtala Suleiman, being circulated on the social media and which is purported to have been issued by the leaders of APC in Akoko South East Local Government.
“Ordinarily we would not have responded to his mischief and seemingly lack of knowledge but for the unsuspecting members of the party in the Local Government and the general public.
“In the said press statement under reference, Hon. Murtala Suleiman and his co-travellers threatened that, “Any meeting called under any disguise for a clandestine motive to cause any age long division in the Local Government Area which has been resolved by Hon. Murtala Suleiman by any individual shall be resisted within the confine of the law and dictate of the Party’s Constitution”.
“They went further when they said, ‘No leadership and party meeting should be called forthwith by any unauthorized person without the knowledge of the local Government Party Chairman, Hon. Ajayi Johnson and the House of Assembly member, Hon. Murtala Suleiman and other notable leaders’.
“While we will not join them in their pedestrian talk, it is imperative to clarify that Hon. Murtala Suleiman does not possess the authority or mandate to speak on behalf of the leadership of our party within the local government. It is absurd and sounds unreasonable for a person who has barely spent eight months in the State House of Assembly to be claiming the leadership of the party in Akoko South East Local Government where we have the likes of Hon. Kolawole Babatunde (Amaechi), a former member of the House of Representatives who has served two consecutive terms in the Ondo State Executive Council; Barrister Kayode Ajulo, SAN, OON (Commissioner-nominee); Hon. Olaitan Ayeni, Mrs. Titi Adeyemi, Mrs. Bamidele Ademola-Olateju who are all former Commissioners; Captain Oyepata Vincent (retd), leader of the APC Elders Caucus in the Local Government; Chief Katola Titus; to mention but few.
“Hon. Murtala Suleiman seems to have forgotten in a hurry that he was amongst the members of the Ondo State House of Assembly who signed the impeachment notice against the incumbent Governor Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa when he was Deputy Governor. It is either his conscience is dead or he lacks shame to have suddenly seen himself as the arch loyalist of the Governor in Akoko South East Local Government. In saner clime, he ought to have buried his head in shame for the role he played in the botched impeachment.
“Loyal members of the APC in the Local Government have not forgotten how Hon. Ajayi Johnson, the Chairman of the party in the Local Government Area and other treacherous elements worked against the party in the last general elections and for which a suspension order was slammed on them.
“In conclusion, it is important we add here that character like Hon. Murtala Suleiman and his allies on their voyage of self-aggrandizement cannot be entrusted with the leadership of the party in Akoko South East Local Government Area of Ondo State.”