Senator Musiliu Obanikoro
FOLLOWING the threat by the All Progressives Congress (APC), senators to stop the re -appointment of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Forum of Publicity Secretaries of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in the SouthWest has described the action of the opposition lawmakers as undemocratic.
This was contained in a statement issued by the forum at the end of its meeting in Akure, the Ondo State capital on Saturday, saying the action embarked upon by the APC senators was capable of acting as cog in the wheel of progress of the nation’s growing democracy.
Speaking on behalf of the publicity secretaries, Hon. Banji Okunomo who is the Ondo State PDP publicity secretary said that the threat by the APC senators to thwart the confirmation of Obanikoro was “vindictive, unpatriotic and a threat to the nation’s democracy and good governance.
Okunomo said the APC senators’ threat served as an affront on the nation’s democracy and a diversion from the age-long tradition of the House, which allowed former members of the upper chamber who had reasons to come before it for confirmation to take a bow.
He noted that the lawmakers were threatened by the rising profile of Obanikoro in politics, adding that the allegations raised against the ministerial nominee by the APC senators were “unfounded, laughable and unexpected from the members of the red chamber”
The group said; “The APC senators’ threat was capable of derailing the aged tradition and convention of the senate that a senator nominated before the House for screening would take a bow
“In this case, the APC senators did not have any legal or moral grounds to oppose Senator Obanikoro. They were merely acting the scripts of their master who had been exercising fear over the soaring political profile of Obanikoro in recent time.”
The forum also noted that the move by the APC to stop Obanikoro’s nomination was because of his capacity to mobilise support against the APC in Lagos State, saying the planned action undermined the urgent need of the president to avail himself of competent hands to help him deliver development to the people.
The forum called on the senators to work towards the development of the country rather than being sentimental in their action and also to avoid heating the polity urging the APC lawmakers at the upper chamber to partake in constructive opposition rather than destructive opposition or criticism.
They, however, threatened to mobilise the electorate to commence the process of recalling the APC lawmakers who partook in the destructive exercise saying “We are poised to commence a mobilisation of the people of the South West to move for the recall of the senators who would oppose the nomination of Obanikoro,”
The forum also called on Nigeria to ignore the antics of the APC, which had deviated from a constructive opposition political party, adding that all the nominees for ministerial position had the support of the forum.
The APC senators had last week vowed to ensure that the nomination of Obanikoro was scuttled during his screening process over the alleged involvement of Obanikoro in using the military to rig the Ekiti State governorship election in June last year.
They argued that Obanikoro had issues to clear with security agencies and with Nigerians before seeking to become minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria again.
The forum included Hon. Kehinde Salau from Oyo, Barrister Taofeek Gani from Lagos, Banji Okunomo from Ondo, Waliu Oladipupo from Ogun, Chief Gboyega Arisogan from Ekiti and Bola Ajao from Osun.
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