APC lawmakers criticise Babatope for calling them charlatans

The 19 All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers in Ekiti State House of Assembly have advised the People’s Democratic Party chieftain, Ebenezer Babatope, to stop his hate campaign against the national leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu.

The lawmakers also condemned the statement credited to the PDP chieftain calling them charlatans saying Babatope should take a rest after the crushing defeat his party suffered from APC in both his state and federal levels to enable him cope with the rigour of sound thinking to contribute positively to the growth of democracy in Nigeria.
 
In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media to the factional speaker of the assembly, Mr Wole Olujobi, they counseled him to be discrete in his utterances on the alleged illegalities by the state governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose. 

Reacting to Babatope’s interview in a national daily where he called them charlatans, the lawmakers regretted that the former Minister “could sit in court of jealousy running down junior fellows and supporting a lawless governor that is daily re-writing the nation’s Constitution to the chagrin of the world” 

Slamming the PDP leader for calling them charlatans, the lawmakers questioned his integrity as a top Nigerian in crisis management, saying “it was regrettable that a supposed statesman could succumb to partisan emotions while his country crumbled under the weight of illegal acts of brigands in government.” 

They also questioned his integrity in supporting impeachment of Ondo State Deputy Governor, Ali Olanusi, over trumped-up minor charges while warning against the impeachment of Governor Fayose who committed grave offences, including treason.

“A question mark is being put on the integrity of Babatope as a leader if he could support Ondo impeachment but he is now calling Ekiti lawmakers names for questioning Fayose over a treason charge by changing the leadership of the Assembly with seven members, contrary to the prescription of the constitution. 

“We want to ask Babatope where was his integrity and clarity of thought when he kept quiet when Fayose invaded the court and beat up a judge. What did he say when Fayose froze the Assembly accounts, seized the Speaker’s vehicle, cut electricity supply to his house, locked him out of his house and office and seized his official car?
 
“ What did Babatope say when Fayose suborned seven PDP members to illegally pass the budget, approve commissioners and special advisers, revoke the Local Government Law, Ekiti State Transport Management Agency and Social Security Scheme laws without recourse to the Assembly through revocation bills?” the lawmakers queried. 

They advised the PDP leader to leave Tinubu alone, saying fate had put the APC leader in a position to take Yoruba progressives to the national politics for the first time in history where true Awoists will be calling the shots along their fellow progressives from other parts of the country.

“We know that the ‘Young Shall Not Grow’ politicians ‎in Afenifere group among whom Babatope is a loud voice are still dazed by the new dawn in Nigeria in which Tinubu played a foremost role.  

“But leaders like Babatope should note that not all men are made for the great feat attained by the Jagaban. Tinubu phobia should not make our leaders blind to the current dangers posed by Fayose to the growth of democracy in Nigeria and we advise Babatope to let reason rule his thoughts above his narrow political interest in the resolution of political crises anywhere they rear their heads in our country.

“It is quite unfortunate that a supposed progressive elder statesman in the twilight of his political career threw away all he has attained as a progressive and find himself in the midst of wolves whom he has fought all his life for a narrow immediate need,” statement concluded.