Aluko seeks Buhari’s intervention in Ekiti APC crisis

FORMER Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Gbenga Aluko has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the internal crisis of the Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

He also warned members jostling for 2018 governorship ticket of the party to work for the interest of the platform instead of advancing their personal agenda that polarises the party.

Aluko, who dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC immediately Governor Ayodele Fayose clinched the party’s ticket last year said he had no regret because “the state deserves better than what they are presently getting from Fayose.

We need peace not crisis”. Aluko, who was on Buhari’s entourage to the United States, being a Director in American Chevron Oil, said President Barack Obama’s resolve to assist in Nigeria’s fight against corruption and sectarian crisis, had raised the hope that the war would be successful.

The member of the fourth Senate advised the APC to continue to seek reconciliation on the crisis surrounding emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate President, saying “based on the politics of legislature, Saraki hands were tied under the circumstance Senator Ike Ekweremadu emerged his Deputy”.

Speaking in a telephone interview with newsmen in Ado Ekiti, Aluko commended President Buhari for his quick response in seeking global help against corruption and insurgency, describing these as the two most dangerous ills rocking the foundation of the country and reducing its economic viability.

He lamented that the cankerworms of corruption and insurgency have affected every facet of the country’s economy, saying only those that are ignorant of the relevance of the world super power in taming these monsters could condemn such a good step.

Though, I was in Buhari’s entourage because I work with Chevron Nigeria, an American Oil firm, so I have to be there. The PDP had tried to seek America’s help during former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan’s regime.

So, what President Buhari did was not out of place. “Nothing is too much for Nigeria to do to curtail corruption and Boko Haram. President Buhari’s visit was majorly on these two critical areas and the US had given the assurance to repatriate over 150 billion dollars stolen from Nigeria.

This, if actualized, will turn around the country for good. “In diplomatic issue, it is always very hard to get immediate assurances from US.

But for President Obama to have given the nod to help was even a success on its own”, he said. Aluko said the APC has a bright chance of recapturing Ekiti in 2018, urging those declaring ambitions to rather subsume their aspirations and pursue how the party can be unified before it is too late.

I can’t imagine members declaring governorship ambitions for an election that is coming up in 2018. As we speak now, the APC in Ekiti has about six factions and nobody is talking about unity.

I know that President Buhari and our national leaders will intervene, but it should not be too late. “Let all intending aspirants bury their aspirations now.

Let all of us subsume our intentions just for the sake of APC. Let us fight for unity and from there we can begin to say I am going to be this or that. “I decided to leave PDP because I cannot be comfortable under the atmosphere of impunity.

The party held power for 16 years and began to become irresponsible and I cannot continue with it. “The manner by which Fayose emerged as governorship candidate for the 2014 poll was the most unreasonable political machination ever.

What we want in Ekiti is a State everybody can be proud of and not a state that will be crisis-ridden”, Aluko stated.