Don’t Leave APC, Use Internal Mechanism to Solve Your Problems, Dep Speaker Advises Politicians

By Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Sulaimon Lasun, has advised politicians in the All Progressives Congress (APC) allegedly planning to form a mega party with members of other political parties in the country  to have a re-think and used the internal mechanism within the party to address their ill-feelings.

He said the alleged threat of such  politicians  would not take them  anywhere in the political system of the country.

Lasun who spoke with journalists in Ilorin at the weekend on the state of the nation, however, said: “The ruling APC government has opened up government functions for Nigerians than in the past and the populace should take advantage of this gesture to continue to support the government in the task of building a virile nation rather than threatening to go to another party.”

According to him, “Mega party, minor party or major party, the best thing in democracy is a virile opposition.

“When you don’t have virile opposition, then it is very difficult to know whether you are doing the correct thing or not.

“And APC as a government is doing its best now, and all Nigerians can now see that the APC  meant well for them.

“Nigerians now know what is going on in the NNPC, FRSC, EFCC, among other agencies as there is no secrecy in the art of governance unlike the past administrations.

“Also, the National assembly has opened its legislative functions to the people of the country especially in the area of budget, representations of bills and making of laws for Nigerians.”

He added that “so whether some politicians in the APC are allegedly planning to form a mega party or minor party, we are not threatened at all.

“And don’t forget that in politics, it will take time to take root and if anybody feels aggrieved that he had been maltreated in the party, then they should follow what they used to preach to us-internal  peaceful resolutions within the party.

“If anybody is trying to leave the party, they should not forget what they used to be telling us that if there is a problem in the party, we should stay within the party and sort it out amicably if at all they are planning to leave and form another party.

“And I want to add that if such politicians fail to do this, and they wanted to leave APC to form another party with other politicians, then we are waiting to face one another when the time comes.

 “APC had recorded a sound electoral victory in Edo State, we also did well in Ondo State. Ekiti and Osun States elections are coming up come 2018 and all of us have come of  age and there is nobody that can threaten any politicians again in the country.

“Whether mega party or minor party, nobody is interested in such move again. Democracy is about everybody and political party is an open market where there is free entry and free exit so if you are dissatisfied with your party, you can go and form your own party with another people because APC had done well and the party would continue to be stronger in the political life of the country.”

The deputy speaker however lauded the gallant success of the Nigerian military for taking over o Sambisa forest  formerly occupied by the Boko Haram terrorists.

He said the activities of terrorists had affected the socio-economic development of the country and with this defeat, there is no doubt that socio economic development of North-east would be improved.