P.M. NEWS Nigeria Menu Bankole’s aide defects to APC, declares for House of Reps September 10, 2014 • By pmnews Share Tweet + 1 Mail Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta Hon. Moruf Afolabi Afuape, former Political Adviser to former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole, has declared his intention to contest for a seat in the House of Representatives to represent Abeokuta South Federal Constituency. Afuape, popularly called Afoo is contesting the seat under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC while his former boss is being rumoured to be contesting for the governorship seat under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Afuape will square up against incumbent, Hon. Olusegun Williams, who defeated Dimeji Bankole in the last election in 2011. He declared his intention on Tuesday 9 September at the party secretariat at Oke Ejigbo. While addressing the mammoth crowd at the party secretariat, the former Head of Department, HOD, Marketing Department of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, MAPOLY, Ojere, Abeokuta disclosed his tripartite plan for the party, which according to him based on 3R’s. “My programmes and policies are based on 3R’s, which are Responsive, Responsible and Representation. Ogun politics needs someone who knows the nitty-gritty of the game. I have been to the House as a political adviser to the number four citizen of the country and I know the game plan very well. As it stands today, I am the best man for the job and when the pressure from my people came that I should contest for the seat, I had no choice than to heed to their request. “I have made wider consultation and with God on my side, if the party gives me the chance and opportunity to represent our constituency, we shall all witness the good things that will be coming our way. I am not saying that other aspirants are not good, but one thing that is sure to me is that no one will prefer better to best and I am the best. I am a grassroots’ man and a well known politician, I have spent most of my life time in Abeokuta and from the length and breadth of Abeokuta, mention the name Afoo, it is a household name. That can be attested to with the crowd we are witnessing today. “This is not a do or die affair, I respect the party so much and will always guide against their rules. I want to appeal to our leaders to allow all aspirants a level playing ground, which may lead us to better future after the primaries. The era of imposition is over and we will be happy if true democracy is allowed to thrive. I want to assure you that whatever the outcome of the primaries, I will abide by it, so far, it is done properly and according to the rules,” Afuape stated. Receiving the aspirants on behalf of the party executive, Chairman of APC, Abeokuta South Local Government, Chief Oluwole Ezekiah Sanyaolu thanked the aspirant for his love towards the party and the commitment he has done since he left his former party, PDP. Sanyaolu assured all aspirants of fair play, equity and just, but warned that every aspirants should cautioned their supporters not to fight other aspirants, saying, in united we stand and in divided we fall, “let me sound a note of warning to you the supporters, you should not do anything that can cause crisis between you and other aspirants supporters. You should remember that all of them are from the same party and what we need to do is to do our work and whoever emerges as the candidate, we all rally round him so as to win the election. Among those that followed him to the party secretariat during his declaration were most of the former think tank members of Dimeji Bankole Campaign Organisation, who have followed him to defects to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. Others were students, artisans, market men and women, various communities’ leadership under the constituency, transporters and others as the whole area stood still for him when he arrived.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 23:01:45 +0000