The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) this morning hit out hard at the All Progressives Congress (APC) for allegedly employing “guerilla style of registration” in its on-going membership drive.
APGA joined issues with APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for reportedly ordering, through his daughter, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, whom he previously installed as the Iyaloja (President- General of Market Traders) of Lagos, that no trader would henceforth be allowed to operate in Lagos except on the production of an APC membership card.
Acting National Publicity Secretary of APGA, Mr. Stanley Chira, said in a statement that the party does not find it funny that a National party like APC “would condescend so low as to be using intimidation and blackmailing to gain membership.”
“It is absurd to note that APC LAGOS State through the leader SENATOR AHMED BOLA TINUBU instructed the daughter to implement such absurd policy. The Rivers State Governor, Mr Chibuike Amaechi, also warned Rivers State residents that they will not be allowed to use public health services (Hospitals) in the state without an APC Membership Registration Card,” Chira said.
Continuing, he said: “APGA is making it clear that we cannot stand by and allow such an inhuman, insensitive, uncultured and hostile policy to be implemented, having in mind that traders in question are IGBO TRADERS; they have freedom to choose who and where they will dwell, party to belong, and who to vote for.
“We should all remember that with the numbers of Ndi Igbo resident in Lagos, Ndi Igbo should be able to produce over 53% of members of the House of Assembly in Lagos State and should have a number of commissioners in any given Government in Lagos State.
“Ndi Igbo with the numerical strength in SURULERE, ORILE, FESTAC, AMUWO ODOFIN, ALABA INTERNATIONAL AXIS INCLUDING OJO LOCAL GOVERNMENT should be producing LOCAL GOVERNMENT CHAIRMEN, COUNCILLORS for the places mentioned above, yet Ndi Igbo never saw it as a do-or-die affair.
“APC should not stoke this fire of destructive politics; it is not what the nation needs right now. We should allow democracy to thrive and not for us to use intimidation to gain membership.”
•Source: News Express
