APC Members In Agony, Dying In Silence In Lagos State

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

The influence of the National Leader of the All Progressive Congress, ( APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu no doubt have kept the party together in the state but that does not mean that the majority of members were happy on how things were going between the party and the government.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that most of the APC members claimed that it appeared that there was no close working synergy between the party leadership and the Lagos State government considering what happened in the last local government election.

It was also gathered that the state government did not financially support the party and candidates in the local government election as such a good number of the candidates had to borrow money from Micro Finance Banks to finance the election.

One of the senior party leaders in Alimosho who did not want his name mentioned said during the time of Asiwaju Tinubu, party members were involved in the affairs of governance from local government to the state level unlike what was being experienced after he left.
He said that the APC cleared the polls with low turn out of voters because there were no strong oppositions and noted that the commitment of members in the party was gradually dying due to absence of deliberate benefit policy for members.

He said, “Politics is about people and when majority of the people following the party are not happy and become disenchanted, it means there is serious problem for that party.”

Another party chieftain said that the party leadership may pretend that things were normal until the burble will burst. He said there was no way the people in government will feel they can work alone and abandon the political party the government emerged from.
He narrated that most of the party members worked tirelessly for the emergence of the present administration in the state and added that most of them have nothing to show for their efforts.
He blamed the party leadership for what the members were passing through because they have not really worked to influence and make the governor to look into the affairs of the party and members welfare.

One of the leaders of the party in the state said that the governor understood the system and knew that the party and candidates can survive without state government input because he was part of them before he become governor.
He said the governor concentrated on developing the state which will be beneficial to all the people living in Lagos not minding party affiliations.
He however observed that he was over doing it and therefore posing serious danger on the future of APC in the state.

Some of the APC women said they have been called all sort of names because they believed in the Asiwaju Tinubu leadership. They insisted that whatever he asked them to do they had to follow because he has been a great and inspirational leader.
They however added that those he was bringing at the state government level have no regard for party members especially the women.

One of the female leaders said there was need for the governor to know the feelings of the party members and address them.

“We cannot be following the party with empty stomach and you expect full commitment from us” she said.

When P.M.EXPRESS visited the party secretariat to speak with the party chairman concerning the matter, he was not around.
However, a top party member denied that the state government had abandoned the party. He admitted that things have changed in the party unlike they were in the past because of the economic situation in the country. He said the leadership was addressing the matter and very soon the governor will come up with policies that will benefit and placate the members.