Here's what Southwest APC leaders discussed in Ibadan
The APC has been a divided house since it won the presidential election. Party leaders are out to mend fences
APC stakeholders at the meeting in Ibadan
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![Polling clerks counted votes at a polling station after completing the voting process of the general election in Abuja, Nigeria, on February 25, 2023. [Getty Images]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'100'%20height%3D'100'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Polling clerks counted votes at a polling station after completing the voting process of the general election in Abuja, Nigeria, on February 25, 2023. [Getty Images]")
Among those who attended the meeting were Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun, APC national leader Bola Tinubu, Governors Akinwunmi Ambode, Abiola Ajimobi and Ibikunle Amosun.
Others were minister of power, works and housing Babatunde Raji Fashola, Minister of Health Isaac Adewole, APC National Deputy Chairman Segun Oni, former APC interim national Chairman Bisi Akande and solid minerals minister Kayode Fayemi.
Representing the Southwest National Assembly Caucus at the meeting were Senator Sola Adeyeye and majority Leader in the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
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The meeting was significant for a couple of reasons:
There's been plenty of talk about fissures or cracks within the APC.
Unconfirmed reports also suggest that Tinubu and Fayemi haven't been on speaking terms.
Sources within the APC have also told Pulse in the past that Fashola and Tinubu have had heated disagreements over the decision making processes of the party at the center.
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Rumours that President Muhammadu Buhari and the cabal within the presidency have successfully alienated godfather Tinubu, have persisted for as long as anyone can recall.
In a chat with , APC legal adviser Dr. Muiz Banire, said there was no iota of truth in those reports.
"It’s not true", Banire shot back when the reports were relayed to him. "That, I can tell you. I have always been saying that for long.
"Honestly speaking, nobody is quarrelling in the Southwest. I am telling you. It’s just the activities of political scavengers…those that are hungry..."
Banire also said Tinubu and all other top ranking members of the APC, enjoy a cordial relationship.
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"There’s no quarrel", Banire told Pulse emphatically. "Rumours that Tinubu has been ostracized at the center are not correct", he added.
ALSO READ: Tinubu mends fence with political enemies
The party's legal adviser also shed some light on what was discussed during Thursday's meeting.
"All that was discussed is the collective interest of the Southwest. What was discussed was unity…that everybody should be united in the interest of the Southwest. Nothing else beyond that, nothing else", Banire offered.
Chief Akande also spoke along similar lines when he shared details of the meeting with .
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Akande hinted that the federal government hasn't paid enough attention to the Southwest--a geopolitical region where a certain candidate Muhammadu Buhari harvested most of the votes that propelled him to the highest office in the land in 2015.
“The purpose of today’s meeting is to let the Southwest office holders at the state and federal levels; the Governors and ministers; to meet face to face with the leadership of the party and assure the Southwest people of what they will benefit from the APC-led Federal Government.”
He added: “The Southwest is the home of the progressives and the thinking about the merger started from the Southwest and we want to make sure that positive change will come to the Southwest from the APC Federal Government. That is the motive.”
Former Ogun State Governor Segun Osoba, said: “We met principally to discuss all the things that may be affecting the Southwest and we have come out with a resolution to show that in the Southwest APC, there is unity of purpose and that the leadership is one.
“We have resolved on all the issues that may be affecting governance of this country and what should be the role and influence that we should exercise as a group in the interest of this county and for the progress of this country.
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“We have examined the government that we were all involved in bringing about and we have resolved all the issues and all those that will be taken to will be taken to Abuja by those concerned. We have related with our legislative members, leaders at the party level and we have related with our Governors.
Pulse recalls that Tinubu didn't support Rotimi Akeredolu, the APC candidate ahead of the Ondo governorship election last year.
President Buhari on the other hand, flew to the Southwest State to campaign for the party's gubernatorial candidate.
Akeredolu went on to win that contest.
Tinubu had also fallen out with Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the national chairman of the APC, before the Ondo election.
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Tinubu wrote a scathing open letter to Oyegun, calling the party chairman all sorts of names and accusing the Edo born politician of sabotage.
Thursday's meeting was seen as crucial for the fortunes of the APC in the future.
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