The newly sworn-in Vice Chairman of All Progressive Congress Lagos West Senatorial District, Chief Babatunde Sunday Aboyade has called for truce among the warring factions in Alimosho Federal Constituency.
Aboyade who stated this while delivering his inaugural speech at a colourful recent organized in his honour at Igando Ikotun Local Council Development Area on Monday, seeks the total supports of traditional rulers, youths and women in order to take the senatorial district to a greater heights.
According to him, “Lagos West is blessed with wonderful Royal Fathers who have been of immense value to the progressives’ course and have been the backbone of the party with moral support and fatherly advice. We started this journey together and we cannot continue without you. We sincerely thank and plead with you to continue to support us. In fact, I will be visiting you alongside with my State Chairman very soon.
“Without mincing words, I totally concur to the statement that says women are the salt of life. In conjunction with the youth, the women of our party have given strength to our party over the years. Women and youth groups in our Senatorial District have played pivotal roles in galvanizing support for our party. On this note, I want to passionately appeal to you to give me your total support so that together, we can take our great party to greater heights.
“To all our progressives’ men and women, as I formerly take this mantle of leadership today, I promise that the women and the youths will be given attention in taking decisions on behalf of the party.
“It should also be mentioned unequivocally that the support from Ndigbo and Arewa communities has been overwhelming. Our religious leaders, CDC/CDAs, artisants too have been very supportive morally and spiritually. However, as we embark on this train of harmonization and reconciliation, I appeal for more support as our dear party is incomplete without you,” he stated.
He called on all local government and LCDA chairmen in the senatorial district to give more attention to the welfare of party members in their various domains.
“The local government is the closest to the grassroots and in Lagos West, we are indeed lucky to have performing LG/LCDA chairmen. Your efforts and initiatives have not gone unnoticed, but like Oliver Twist we want more. I therefore urge you to give more attention to the welfare of our party members. We must all bear it in mind come rain come sun, party members are the backbone of the party; it is wise for those who have been lifted to lift others and those who have been blessed to bless others. As we approach election period, party members will leave their families and work behind to work for the success of the party, hence the need to take care of them.
“At this juncture, I specially appreciate the strength of all party members. You have remained the strength of the party with your continuous support and sacrifices. As I take this mantle today, I assure you that this is a new era where the best thing to happen to anyone is to be a member of APC. This time around, the welfare of party members will be the focal point of all activities. For those with ambitions, APC is always there for you and I am happy to inform you that this time around, the party will ensure a level playing field for all contestants. APC is poised as ever to ensure internal democracy. Nonetheless, I appeal to all party members to be patient, life is turn by turn and everyone has his/her own appointed time.
“To the great men and women of our great party, I am excited to tell you that our beloved party is on the path of peace, unity and harmony. The party leadership at the National and State level have unanimously decided that members of All Progressives Congress (APC) must henceforth speak with one voice. Premised on this, I passionately plead with all party members to bury the hatchet and let us work together to make our party greater.
The reconciliatory and harmonization steps taken by the new Excos has been recognized by the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan who specifically praised the State Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi for his efforts in restoring peace in Lagos APC. If the senate President can attest to the work of the State Excos at reconciliation and harmonization efforts of our leaders, then I must say that party members have no choice rather than to embrace and unite as one to better the lot of our great party.
This is a call that all hands must be on deck and we all need to go back to the drawing board and re-strategize so as to build whatever must have fallen apart and even better and make Lagos West great again. With concerted efforts of all the stakesholders, we shall collectively rise up to build the Lagos West of our dreams where peace and unity will prevail,” he averred.
He called for discipline among party members adding that the supremacy of the party is non-negotiable.
“We would not stop appealing to ourselves so as to build a stronger and formidable party in Lagos West in particular and the State as a whole. However, discipline must be maintained in every sphere of our dealings and activities as the supremacy of the party is non-negotiable. Any party that promotes caucuses above the party is on the path of disintegration or total collapse.
“All over the world, states and organizations operate according to their constitution to ensure orderliness and maintain discipline and APC as a political party/group is no exception which makes it mandatory for all members to operate within the constitutional limits of the party. All APC members must be disciplined as this is key to the success of the party.
“We must note that the party leadership will not hesitate to deal with members who engage in any act of indiscipline or against the constitution of the party. No individual is bigger than the party and sanity must be maintained across all levels within members and party leaders.
He called on members to support his open door policy.”As a seasoned administrator and manager, I am not oblivious of the fact that the ideas that can change the world can come from an unheralded source. Premised on this, I promise to always make myself available to all members of our great party.
“I promised to run an open door policy as I belong to everyone. Over the years, I have served my party in various capacities and those who have had contacts with me will testify that I am an open minded person. As I take up this responsibility today, I shall ensure power returns to the people.
“Party leaders/structures at various levels should be rest assured that your contributions will always be considered in decision making. I also assure you all that I will lobby the party leadership to give more recognition to Lagos West which will further accelerate the development of the senatorial district,” he intoned.
