Obanikoro: South-west PDP Flays APC Senators

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-west states Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Lagos yesterday condemned a threat by All Progressive Congress (APC) senators to stop the confirmation of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro as minister.

The condemnation of the APC threat was one of the resolutions reached at the end of the meeting of Forum of PDP Publicity Secretaries held in Akure, Ondo State where they rose in stout defence of Obanikoro.

The forum comprising of Chief Gboyega Aribisogan (Ekiti), Hon Banji Okunomo (Ondo), Waliu Oladipupo (Ogun), Hon Kehinde Salau (Oyo), Mr. Taofeek Gani (Lagos) and Bola Ajao of Lagos, described the threat by the APC senators as vindictive and unpatriotic. Presenting the position of the forum to journalists, the Ondo State PDP Publicity Secretary, Banji Okunomo said the APC threat was an affront on democracy and a deviation from the tradition of respecting former members of the upper chamber who by tradition only need to come to the Senate and take a bow. According to Okunomo, the APC is jittery of Obanikoro’s nomination because of his ability to mobilise support for PDP candidates against the APC candidates for various elective positions.

He said the forum was worried that APC is always in opposition to whatever does not belong to it irrespective of the merit of the matter describing the action of the party as destructive move against democracy.

APC senators had during the week vowed to ensure that the nomination of Obanikoro was scuttled during his screening following allegations of his involvement in using the military to rig the Ektiti State Governorship election in June last year.

They argued that Obanikoro had issues to clear with the security agencies and with Nigerians before seeking to become a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.