Grassroots Veterans in Alimosho Constituency in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lagos State has refuted rumours that it intends to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Chief Adebayo Akande, the Committee Chairman of the group, made this disclosure during a stakeholders meeting held at Okunola area in Alimosho on Friday.
Akande spoke about the much disputed outcome of October party primaries in the state chapter of APC.
The APC primaries in Lagos State left so many individuals and group aggrieved as many kicked against the outcome, especially in Alimosho.
“We want to debunk the erroneous information going on within the political field that leaders and followers of Grassroots Veterans in Alimosho Federal Constituency have gone to PDP.
“We hereby ascertain that nothing of such is ever in the minds of the leadership.
“We are members of APC and founding members of the party and as such it is not visible or thinkable for us to leave the house we built together.
” Alimosho Grassroots Veterans are only asking for equitable justice in the governance in the Alimosho Federal Constituency.
“As stakeholders, we intend to work for the success of the party in the forthcoming elections. Let it be known herewith that the top echelon of this group dissociate themselves from any engagement with either PDP or any party nomenclature inspire of pressures.
“We are fully committed to the ideals of the All Progressives Congress and her leadership, ” Akande said.
According to him, the group has displayed enough patience, perseverance, tolerance, endurance and understanding since the primaries.
He said that all reconciliatory meetings had been attended by the group to no avail including meeting with another open letter to the National Leader of APC, Sen. Bola Tinubu for him to intervention.
Akande said that the lingering political crisis and divisions in the area was caused because sharing of party executives and positions favoured only one side of the divide.
He added: “All the party executives and the local government executives from the Secretariat to the supervisors were only from one side, thereby disenfranchising the other aggrieved side.
“Without doubt, you will accept the fact that this group has stretched out its hands for peace and reconciliation.
“Let it be known to the world that any disadvantage from the forthcoming general elections in Alimosho federal constituency should not be laid on the door step of Alimosho Grassroots Veterans if the needful is not done.”
Chief Olu Badejo, a leader of the group and pioneer executive chairman of Mosan Okunola LCDA said that the meeting became imperative so as not to confuse their teeming supporters on who to vote for during elections.
Badejo, a-77 year old leader, said that the group was not leaving APC for anyone but just demanding justice for members after the fallout of party primaries.
“We have great followers hip; we do not want to divide the house which we belong. It is not possible to deliver Alimosho to APC without us,” a member of Alimosho G-18 said.
Chief Olu Bakare, the Chairman of the group said: “Wherever you find the oppressed, I will be there. People are oppressed and I am not happy about it and will not accept it.
“We have tried our best to make sure we are together, but we have been neglected and the cry of the people ignored, but we are leaving this party.
“We have over 70 per cent of politicians in Alimosho here,” he said
Also speaking, Chief Babs Kareem, another leader of the group, who noted that Tinubu’s promise to call the aggrieved for reconciliation had not hold, said that the injustice could affect the fortune of the party.
The event had so many aggrieved party faithful and leaders in attendance.