Tinubu, Akeredolu reconcile, meet in Abuja
http://www.hrlnews.com/2019/05/tinubu-akeredolu-reconcile-meet-in-abuja.html
The political differences between former Lagos Governor, Bola Tinubu,
and the Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akredolu, appears to be coming to
an end following a peace meeting between the duo in Abuja on Sunday.
Both politicians travelled parallel paths after the 2012 governorship
election in the state when Mr Akeredolu was the candidate of the Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He lost the election to the Labour Party’s
Olusegun Mimiko.
The bitterness became pronounced during the struggle for the APC
ticket for the 2016 governorship election. Mr Tinubu, a national leader
of the party, backed Segun Abraham against the interest of Mr Akeredolu.
When Mr Akeredolu eventually defeated Mr Abraham and Olusola Oke to
become the APC flagbearer, Mr Tinubu reportedly sponsored Mr Oke on the
platform of the Alliance for Democracy for the election proper.
Mr Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, still triumphed at the
polls to the irritation of Mr Tinubu and his associates in Ondo State.
Mr Tinubu however, had his pound of flesh in the build up to the 2019
general elections, when he ensured, with the backing of the APC NWC
that Mr Akeredolu was denied the privilege of having his men fielded for
the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly elections.
The development resulted in what is now tagged “anti party
activities,” where the governor tacitly supported some of his favorites
to contest the elections on the platform of the Action Alliance, (AA).
Parley
The said peace meeting between Messrs Akeredolu and Tinubu is coming a
week after the rumoured suspension of the governor by the NWC for his
role in the last general election which allegedly cost the APC the
presidential election in the state.
PREMIUM TIMES reliably gathered that besides the meeting in Abuja, a
series of meetings have been planned for Ondo State to further douse all
tension.
Although a close aide to the governor, who spoke in confidence with
PREMIUM TIMES on the matter, made efforts to dissociate the recent peace
moves from the governor’s reelection ambition come 2020, feelers
indicate that the rapprochement has become essential to the race.
The Tinubu group led by a former deputy governor, Ali Olanusi, and
supported by Isaac Kekemeke, who was the former state chairman of the
party, had called on the NWC to ensure that Mr Akeredolu was denied the
party’s ticket for a second term for his alleged “anti party activities”
during the last general elections.
‘Ceasefire’
An aide to Mr Akeredolu, who would not want to be named, said the
first phase of the agreements was for “media aides to the parties to
cease fire and maintain the peace.”
He said all the parties are interested in ending the feud and want peace to reign.
“As I speak with you, other meetings will be held in Ondo State, so
that other players within the state would be actively involved in the
peace moves,” he said.
It was gathered that the reconciliatory meeting was initiated by a
former APC national vice chairman South-west, Pius Akinyelure, who had
made several attempts to bring the duo together.
He got his opportunity late last week when Mr Akeredolu flew to Abuja
to honour Mr Akinyelure’s invitation to meet with the former Lagos
governor.
Although the details of the meeting were still shrouded in secrecy,
it was gathered that both men expressed their grievances and resolved to
work together in the overall interest of the party
particularly in Ondo
State.
Meanwhile, the governor’s Special Assistant on New Media, Allen
Sowore, confirmed the reconciliatory meeting, adding that “peace had
been achieved between the two leaders.”
Tunde Rahman, media aide to Mr Tinubu, also confirmed the meeting but refused to give details.
“You have seen the picture of Asiwaju, the governor and the former
Vice Chairman, South-west and you know pictures don’t lie and that means
the meeting held,” Mr Rahman said.
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