Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the pioneer interim national chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande yesterday held a crucial meeting with Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredoluin Akure, and another faction of the party, in the state capital, to strategise over the 2020 governorship election.
Others at the meeting were Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, former deputy governor of Ondo State, Alhaji Alli Olanusi, governorship candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the last governorship election in the state, Chief Olusola Oke, and former commissioner for Regional Integration in Osun State, Mr. Bola Ilori, among others.
The meeting held at Heritage hotel, Akure, was said to be at the instance of Governor Akeredolu who is said to be seeking re-election next year.
Journalists and politicians including governors’ aides, were barred from entering the venue of the meeting which lasted for four hours.
It was, however, gathered that the meeting was aimed at resolving the differences among members of the APC in the state, before the next year’s governorship poll.
A source also said Akeredolu influenced the meeting, in order to apologise to Tinubu, and others who are not on the same page with him, especially those against his second term ambition.
The resolutions reached at the meeting were not made available to reporters as at press time, but, Daily Sun gathered that a faction of the party that was antagonistic to Akeredolu insisted that the state executive of the party should be dissolved for peace to return.
Also, the faction, it was gathered insisted that Akeredolu and the state chairman of the party, Mr Ade Adetimehin, should formally denounce their membership of Action Alliance (AA), a political party the duo allegedly worked for during the last senatorial election. Tinubu and Akande reportedly pleaded with the two factions to sheathe their swords and allow peace reign in the party; in order to win the next year’s election.
The meeting, Tinubu said, was to restore peace and unity to Ondo APC, ahead of the next governorship election. However, leader of the anti-Akeredolu faction and senator representing Ondo North senatorial district, Prof. Ajayi Boroffice was not at the meeting.