Twenty-four hours after the Imo State All Progressives Congress suspended Governor Rochas Okorocha for alleged anti-party activities, the Ogun State chapter of the APC on Friday said it was monitoring Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s activities .
The APC Publicity Secretary of the state Caretaker Committee, Tunde Oladunjoye, told Saturday PUNCH exclusively.
Amosun and Okorocha had locked horns with the national leadership of the party over the result of the primaries which did not favour their preferred governorship candidates in their respective states.
Following Okorocha’s suspension, the ruling party in Ogun State said it was watching the events to determine what action to be taken.
Oladunjoye however said the party was more interested in the governor retracing his steps than punishing him for anti-party activities.
While responding to questions from Saturday PUNCH, Oladunjoye said, “What I can only tell you now is that we are monitoring him. We are monitoring event. We are still monitoring.”
When asked how long the monitoring would last, Oladunjoye said, “There is no timeframe. We are monitoring. I can’t tell you this is the timeframe.
“You know what is very important, even, if I may quote the Bible, is that God does not want the death of a sinner but for him to repent; we are monitoring him, that is what we can say about it for now.”
Meanwhile, a youth group within the APC has called for the expulsion of Amosun from the party over his alleged anti-party activities.
The group under the umbrella of the National Youths Democratic Network made the call on Thursday at a press conference held at the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ogun State Council.
Amosun had been accused of engaging in anti-party activities considered inimical to the APC in the state.
The group which spoke through the state Coordinator, Solanke Hamzat, described the governor as an ingrate, accusing him of biting the fingers that fed him.
Hamzat, who was flanked by the National Secretary, Popoola Alaba; state Secretary, Fasina Yusuf; and National Publicity Secretary, Gani Quadri, said the group could no longer condone Amosun’s flouting of the democratic decisions of the party in the state.
He added that either the governor joined the Allied Peoples Movement or obeyed the verdict of the APC.
Hamzat expressed anger at the governor for his endorsement of the governorship candidate of the APM, Abdulkabir Akinlade, even while he was still holding on to the senatorial ticket of the APC.
He urged the leadership of the party to take a definite position on the alleged anti-party activities of Amosun.
He urged the party to suspend the governor from the party and withdraw the senatorial ticket from him.
Hamzat said, “It is our strong belief that for democracy to survive, things must be done in line with the laws and principles guiding the system.
“ We are seriously concerned about the political situation in Ogun State branch of the All Progressives Congress, the untoward developments and its implications for the APC in Ogun State and nationally now and in the future.
“It is our strong belief that party politics and survival of democracy are interdependent and must be guided within the purview of constitutionalism and principles of democracy and morality.
He added, “It is a serious infraction and insult on our sensibility for the incumbent Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, to disregard democratic decisions of the APC in Ogun State and Nigeria to field Prince Dapo Abiodun as its standard bearer only.
“It is absolutely laughable and against all known logic that Senator Ibikunle Amosun is holding on to the ticket of the APC to contest as senator for Ogun Central Senatorial District while backing Hon. Akinlade from another political party to be the governor of the state during the same election tenure.”
Meanwhile, the factional Chairman of the APC in Imo State, Chief Dan Nwafor, on Friday said the suspension of the Okorocha from the party, was null and void.
Nwafor also described the suspension as illegal.