Prince Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi, the deputy leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos state has denied reports that he was instructed by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the national leader of the party to convene a meeting to resolve the crisis in the state chapter of the party.

The Lagos APC is currently factionalised into two with a faction led by Alhaji Tunde Balogun which the Tinubu camp belonged to. The other camp is led by Fouad Oki.

Balogun is the current chairman of the state caretaker committee which is recognised by the APC national leadership, but Oki said he is confident that his days are numbered and his faction will soon take charge.

There were reports last week that Tinubu, who is currently abroad had instructed Olusi, who is next to him in rank in Lagos APC to convene a peace meeting for January 7 to harmonise both factions. The aim is to put the Lagos APC in order ahead of Tinubu’s formal declaration for the 2023 presidency.

However, it was gathered that the meeting flopped as many invited stakeholders such as the Minister of Interior and former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola and the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, a former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly failed to show up.

Speaking exclusively with Daily Independent yesterday, Olusi said it was erroneous for anyone to link the proposed meeting to Tinubu.

According to him, he personally called the meeting to broker peace among the warring factions in Lagos APC but the meeting was called off due to the need to observe COVID-19 safety guidelines.

He said “It was my own volition, not anybody. I called the meeting as an elder. I want to emphasize that by the grace of God, I have spent 84 good years on earth and most of my colleagues in the arena of politics would certainly stand in the position of my children”.

“ I am old enough to be a father to anyone who has attained the age of 60. So, I am a father and a leader and I do not need to receive the instruction of anybody”.

I want to repeat that, I do not need to receive the instruction of anybody except Almighty God. I believe that I am being motivated by spiritual forces to embark on this mission”.

“The problem is gigantic, with various interests but by the grace of God, we will resolve it. I have even requested for support from other elderly colleagues. It’s a gigantic task that is even beyond me as a person but I believe that I am being motivated by my creator”.

“I sent information across about my intention to a couple of leaders, including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Asiwaju regards me as an ‘egbon’ (elder brother) and as a leader. So, therefore let’s put all these things that will create dissension aside”.

Speaking further on why he proposed the meeting, Olusi, who was one of the APC leaders who visited President Muhammadu Buhari in Aso Villa recently said it was due to his desire to ensure that peace reigns in the APC, a party he laboured with others to form.

“In the arena of politics, my colleagues gave me a name. They call me ‘The Prince of Peace’. I have always been in harmony in resolving crisis, in bringing people together and ensuring that brotherly atmosphere exists in anywhere i am or any organisation I belong to”.

“With very great humility, I can claim today that I am one of the oldest politicians in Lagos state. I played my part in the organisation of the APC as well as pre-APC days. Therefore, I cannot stand aside watching while a house that I laboured with others to build to crumble or collapse. As a senior member of the party, I have a responsibility to make things right”.

“Apart from that, on a number of occasions, the elders of the party and politicians in the South-West have charged me with the responsibility of leading a reconciliation team. I took part in the reconciliation in Ekiti state. I also took part in the reconciliation process in Ondo state.

" I also took part in the reconciliation in Ogun state, that led to the emergence of Senator Ibikunle Amosun as the governor of that state. I also took part in the reconciliation between the late governor of Oyo state, Lam Adesina who was my friend and colleague in the House of Representatives and the late Abiola Ajimobi. That reconciliation led to the emergence of Ajimobi as governor of Oyo state”.

“I want to say that I have had the honour of visiting Senator Rashidi Ladoja, former Oyo state governor at his residence both at Ibadan and Lagos in the cause of making peace. So, it is my trade to make peace and I love doing it because it gives me great joy seeing people work together as brothers in unity. Nothing succeeds in an atmosphere of bitterness or rancour. I am not ashamed of peacemaking”.

“But I want to say categorically that it is not correct to say that a particular meeting flopped because it did not constitute a quorum. No meeting was summoned in the first place. I have a proposal for a meeting to hold but the issue of COVID-19 and the standing instruction of various state governments as regards assembly, social distancing was mentioned. With that, I put a stop to my intention to invite my friends and colleagues to the proposed peace meeting”.

“So, no meeting was ever summoned. It is very wrong and a misinformation for anyone to say that there was a meeting and it flopped because there was no quorum. I want to say that I have a useful discussion with my colleagues, brothers within the party in respect of resolving all crisis that we have in Lagos”.

“ I have a meaningful discussion with the past chairman and other important leaders of the state and I am happy with the progress made so far. I don’t want to get into any controversy on whether a meeting flopped or not. My assignment with respect to the peaceful resolution of all conflicts within the party is on course and I thank God for the respect given to me by all the leaders that I have spoken with”.

https://www.independent.ng/2023-presidency-tinubu-never-instructed-me-to-convene-meeting-on-lagos-apc-crisis-olusi/

What will he say before?

Tinubu number one leader, this papa number two, what number is Sanwo Olu?