The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru has warned members not to work against the collective interest of the party.

He asked those tired of the membership of the party to leave rather than staying to frustrate its chances.

The former lawmaker gave this charge yesterday during a civic reception held to celebrate his election as the National Secretary by the APC in Osun State.

The event, held at the Freedom Park in Osogbo, was attended by a large crowd of party stakeholders, members, supporters, and well-wishers, who came to show their support for Basiru and the APC.

In his speech, Basiru congratulated Osun for the appointment of the Minister for Transportation, thanked the party for the honour and promised to work hard to live up to the expectations of the people. He also pledged to work with the other members of the National Working Committee to ensure that the APC remains the party of choice for Nigerians.

Basiru said, “I am aware of the concerns that have been raised about the recent removal of fuel subsidy. I want to assure you that the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is taking steps to mitigate the impact of this decision on the most vulnerable Nigerians.”

“The government has released thousands of bags of rice and 5 billion naira to each state across the country to help cushion the effect of the price increase. Hold your Governors accountable.

“The government is working to improve the efficiency of the oil and gas sector. This will help to reduce the cost of fuel in the long term. The government is also working to diversify the economy so that we are not so reliant on oil. This will help to make us more resilient to shocks in the global oil market,” he noted.

Warning saboteurs in the party, he said, “I implore all of us to work assiduously for the party, God will reward everyone. Those that had benefitted from the party and still betray us, we have handed over their matter to God. If you know you are tired of the party, leave, but don’t stay and still work against it.”

The event was also attended by a number of dignitaries, including all party stakeholders in Osun State, South West and Nigeria.

In their separate speeches, the dignitaries praised Basiru for his outstanding contributions to the APC and the development of Osun State. They also expressed confidence that he would be a great asset to the party in his new role.

Ondo APC chairman, who spoke on behalf the South West APC chairmen, Engr. Ade Adetimeyin, asked members in Osun to rally round Basiru and ensure that they take over the state from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2026.