Leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have been urged to reflect deeply on the outcome of last weekend’s governorship election in Ondo State by re-examining the blueprint for South-West integration and avoid a chain reaction that may lead to the region returning to the opposition party.

Reacting to the defeat of the party in the poll, Kayode Soyinka, a leader of the party in Ogun State, believed that the people of Ondo State had demonstrated that the Yoruba people must not necessarily belong to the same political party to secure regional integration.

In the words of the publisher of the pan-African magazine, Africa Today, “the Ondo State governorship election result has confirmed that democracy has indeed taken firm root in Nigeria and the citizens now have freedom of choice and association.

It is in this light that our leaders in ACN must ensure that the objectives and goals of regional integration accommodate political plurality rather than stick to the rigid position that we all must sleep on the same side of the political bed to fulfill our common purpose.

Soyinka said it was indeed tragic that ACN could not even finish second behind Labour Party (LP) in the election and therefore lost ground to the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). According to him, the development was a signpost of more danger ahead, which could only be redressed if the ACN leadership began to address the widespread complaints about lack of internal democracy in the party and the absence of mutual respect.

Soyinka said, “I recall the troubles we faced and the battles we had to fight when the opposition PDP took over the reins in all but one of the South West states in 2003.

For eight years, we were in the wilderness and our people suffered the consequences of our failure to provide them progressive leadership. “Indeed, if PDP had not imploded in a state like Ogun, we probably would still have PDP in government today. Our leaders in ACN must show that they have learnt from that terrible experience and retrace their steps by allowing true democracy to have a pride of place within the party and in the region as a whole.”

Soyinka encouraged the people of the South West region to remain steadfast and committed to electing a new leadership which would demonstrate a high sense of purpose to bring about progress and development in the area which had been lauded for its progressive and pacesetting tendencies.

src: daily sun

It is amazing how what tinubu and co are orchestrating in that region is a reminiscet of first republic in nigeria.It is like going backward and it is dangerous.

ACN is suffering from a branding problem as Tinubu is being attacked from every angle. This is very curious because a good number of those complaining are not from the South West.

Nevertheless, the wound is self-inflicted. The ACN leadership needs to reform certain practices and policies if it is not going to suffer the same fate as PDP.

I said it!

such a misleading title...

Lol

ekt_bear: such a misleading title...

I thought it was Wole Soyinka. When I got to Kayode Soyinka, I stopped reading.

danjohn:

I thought it was Wole Soyinka. When I got to Kayode Soyinka, I stopped reading.

Lol! I thought same and did same. Very misleading.

ekt_bear: such a misleading title...

danjohn:

I thought it was Wole Soyinka. When I got to Kayode Soyinka, I stopped reading.

yeah misleading title, not unusual with the nigerian press but the kayode soyinka is a commisioner in the ogun state government. An ACN state.

Me too. Thought it was the famous one.

miqos02:
yeah misleading title, not unusual with the nigerian press but the kayode soyinka is a commisioner in the ogun state government. An ACN state.

Yours is a misleading post as well. The commissioner is Wole Soyinka's son - Dr Olaokun Soyinka (commissioner for Health). Kayode Soyinka is a publisher and social commentator.

ekt_bear: such a misleading title...

How, the man's surname is not not Soyinka?

ekt_bear: such a misleading title...

How, the man's surname is it not Soyinka?

The name Soyinka is found everywhere, but is generally associated with wole soyinka.

Well...whether its Wole or Kayode, the name really does not belittle the import of the message.

The South-West integration need not necessarily have to be based on all states been rule by same ACN...Most Yorubas irrespective of party affliation share some basic aspirations in the Nigeria project.

Katsumoto: ACN is suffering from a branding problem as Tinubu is being attacked from every angle. This is very curious because a good number of those complaining are not from the South West.

Nevertheless, the wound is self-inflicted. The ACN leadership needs to reform certain practices and policies if it is not going to suffer the same fate as PDP.

Good observation. It's all about national politics of 2015.

A lot of people suffer from crowd mentality and this is what PDP has employed as a strategy against Tinubu. You only need say the same thing repeatedly and it becomes a fact. Since many are incapable of independently sourcing for information and analysing such, they tend to align with the popular opinion. Tinubu is not perfect but why would there be so much noise about the man when we so many men who are bigger than him in wealth and influence, in PDP. Dangote, Otedola, Adenuga, IBB, OBJ, Anenih, Danjuma, Tukur, Atiku, etc There are even so many unknown involved in Stealing OIL and yet Tinubu is the villain.

Before 2011 presidential election, you will remember it was Buhari's name that got that much attention. Now, Tinubu is the biggest threat so it's natural the attention will come his way. Ordinarily, he shouldn't have been that much of a threat, afterall PDP controls enough states to win presidential election. but we all know they are going to start their zoning wahala again.

.

Akanbi_edu:

Good observation. It's all about national politics of 2015.

What is good about a parochial opinion? Would you rather Tinubu adopt the OGD option of eliminating all opposition? If Tinubu spent N2b, Mimiko spent N10b. What are Mimiko's achievements in Ondo State? The fact remains that ACN is less than 2 years in Ondo State. For ACN to attain more than half of Mimiko's votes means they made an impact in the electoral process. Now ACN can build on that.

Yorubas say 'eni meji kii jere iro'.

stormm:

What is good about a parochial opinion? Would you rather Tinubu adopt the OGD option of eliminating all opposition? If Tinubu spent N2b, Mimiko spent N10b. What are Mimiko's achievements in Ondo State? The fact remains that ACN is less than 2 years in Ondo State. For ACN to attain more than half of Mimiko's votes means they made an impact in the electoral process. Now ACN can build on that.

Yorubas say 'eni meji kii jere iro'.

Definitely.

iykak47: How, the man's surname is it not Soyinka?

Because he is not THE Soyinka. The well-known one who people sit up and pay attention to when he speaks.

It would be as if my name were Tunde Obama, and some prominent newspaper quoted me and put out a headline "Obama supports the US invading Iran!!!"