Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has appealed to leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State to remain united following the outcome of the August 8 governorship election.
Oyetola, who cautioned party members against apportioning blame over the outcome of the poll, said those who betrayed the party during the election could be hiding under allegations of internal wrangling to justify their actions.
The former governor spoke at the weekend while meeting with party leaders at the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Office in Osogbo.
He urged members to search their consciences and reflect on the roles they played during the election, rather than engaging in a blame game.
Oyetola said APC’s performance in the election, despite losing the governorship seat, showed the party remained popular and formidable in the state.
He said: “Let us ensure that we remain united and do not allow disunity to reign among us. Considering the level of insults directed at me, I would ordinarily not be here today.
“As for some of us who acted otherwise during the election, let us leave them to God.
“Our party has never secured this number of votes before, which shows the people truly love us.”
The minister said the outcome of the election should serve as an opportunity for members to examine their individual contributions to the party’s performance.
“With the outcome of the election, we should stop apportioning blame. Every one of us should search his or her conscience and reflect on the role played, whether good or bad. Let our consciences bear witness against us,” he said.
Oyetola warned against allowing disagreements to further polarise the party, saying persistent infighting could undermine efforts to reposition the APC ahead of future elections.
“Let us not allow the affairs of our party to become synonymous with fighting. Those who betrayed the party may want to attribute the outcome of the election to internal wrangling.
“Let us all stop fighting. I am not fighting anybody because, if we stop fighting, it will expose the moles within our party,” Oyetola said.
He urged APC leaders and supporters to close ranks and sustain the unity of the party, stressing that reconciliation and collective responsibility were necessary for the party to remain strong and regain lost ground.
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