Punch Newspaper - A week after the Ondo State governorship election, there are indications that the All Progressives Congress leaders, particularly the National Working Committee members, are still divided over a former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
It was reliably learnt in Abuja on Friday that the party leaders had not agreed on how to handle the former governor on his alleged role in the Ondo State poll.
While some members believe that Tinubu and the Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, worked against the interest of the party in the election, others are of the view that the duo did no wrong.
It was gathered that the hardliners in the APC, who are mostly against Tinubu, are calling for the sanctioning of the former governor and his loyalists.
Investigations showed that other APC leaders had called for caution, arguing that any tough measure against Tinubu would destroy the party.
It was learnt that those, who are sympathetic to the former governor, said the party should reconcile with him.
A chieftain of the party, who confided in Saturday PUNCH, said, “We have told those who are against the man to remember his contributions to the formation of the APC and the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari. We should not take any action that will destroy the party.”
But those calling for sanctions insisted that there should be consequences for party members who engaged in anti-party activities, irrespective of their status.
They argued that such sanctions would send a strong message to would-be rebels.
A former lawmaker, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH on the condition of anonymity, said, “We should not treat Tinubu like a god. The laws of the party should apply to all members.”
Those opposed to punitive actions against Tinubu argued that the outcome of the Ondo governorship election offered a new opportunity to unite rather than further divide the party.
But the APC leaders calling for sanctions are accusing the two party leaders of allegedly supporting candidates of rival political parties against APC’s standard bearer during the polls.
Specifically, they are accused of supporting the candidature of Chief Olusola Oke of the Alliance for Democracy with funds and other logistics.
Oke had defected to the AD to contest the Ondo governorship election after losing to Akeredolu in the party’s primary held on September 3, 2016.
A source, who confided in one of our correspondents, also said another South-West APC governor was also among those believed to have funded Oke’s campaigns.
The source was silent on whether the governor would also face sanction or not.
One of the party leaders, who appealed for caution, said, “The outcome of the Ondo election is enough humiliation for these people. Why would anybody want to add salt to injury by sanctioning them?
“Besides, we cannot afford at this stage of our development to begin to behave like the former ruling party. Did anyone see Asiwaju or Aregbesola anywhere near Oke’s campaign? You know it is normal for politicians to drop names if such names will give them an edge over opponents.”
A member of the APC National Working Committee loyal to Tinubu, said calls for sanctions against Tinubu were misplaced.
He said, “Who are those making such calls? I am sure they are people who did not know how the APC was formed. When did showing preference for a particular party member over another constitute an anti-party activity?
“Anyone who can provide proof of any anti-party activity against Tinubu should come out in the open instead of chasing shadows.”
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