Group welcomes Lanlehin to APC

The Oyo Progressives Front (OPF), a group in the Oyo State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), has expressed joy on the return of Sen. Olufemi Lanlehin to the party.

The group made the disclosure in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Mr Kola Aderoju, and the Secretary, Mr Fatai Akanmu.

It was reported that Lanlehin, the governorship candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), in the 2019 general election recently dumped the party for APC.

It was reported Lanlehin dumped the party with the entire structure of the Oyo State Chapter of the ADC and moved to the APC.

The group lauded Lanlehin for pulling out of a coalition with Gov. Seyi Makinde-led administration due to insincerity to embrace ongoing reconciliation process in the APC.

“We appreciate Lanlehin’s sincerity, courage and boldness seeing him pull out of the coalition with the Seyi Makinde government after sensing the latter’s insincerity.

“We also appreciate him for embracing the ongoing reconciliatory process in the APC. We are delighted that Lanlehin is back to where he truly belongs.

“We hope that, together with other like-minded progressives, they will contribute their quota to the enthronement of equity, justice and fairness in the party.

“Such will also brighten the chances of the party’s return to power in 2023,’’ the group said.

The group also reacted to a news conference convened by the ADC caretaker committee in the state where it described Lanlehin as a paperweight whose defection was inconsequential.

It lamented what it called ‘elevation of politics of the stomach’ above that of principles.

“Isn’t it already in the public square how Lanlehin rejected appointments from the Makinde government when it was obvious the governor is only interested in individuals and not the generality of the teeming masses of the party?

“If Lanlehin was as half-greedy as those now benefitting from the Makinde government, they will not have any chance to be talking from both sides of the mouth but be completely shut off,’’ the group said.

The OPF said there was no need for the ADC to allude itself to lies and deceit if it was not pained by the exit of the only marketable personality in its midst.

“How can Oyo ADC in one breath say it is committed to building a strong and virile party, yet in another say it is, without conscience, supporting the already collapsed coalition arrangement?

The group charged Lanlehin and his teeming supporters not to be perturbed by the infantile cries of those remaining in the ADC.

According to the group, those are people bound to continually please their paymaster within themselves when only a sizeable number is actually benefitting and majority deployed as pawns in their nefarious political chess game.

The group called on the ADC and their backers in the Makinde government to accept Lanlehin’s exit in good faith and stop shedding crocodile tears.