Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-West yesterday alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has done more harm than good to the people of the zone in the past 15 years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria.
Rising from a maiden South-West Assembly of the party in Ibadan, the leaders said the zone had seen the decline in its cherished values, the tradition of egalitarianism and age-long culture of the people due to alleged misrule of the PDP in the country.
The leaders, including Governors Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State and Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State; Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; National Vice Chairman for the zone, Chief Pius Akinyelure and the APC chairmen in the South-West states, said however, that the situation was not hopeless.
According to them, the APC and its members had been demonstrating the rare courage and a will cast in iron to salvage the South-West and protect the legacies of the forebears of the zone in the overall interest of the people.
Senator Ganiyu Solomon from Lagos State; Senator Ajayi Boroffice from Ondo State; Senator Ayo Fasanmi; APC South-West Woman Leader, Mrs. Kemi Nelson and former chief coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, attended the meeting.
A 12-point communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by the National Vice Chairman in the zone, Chief Pius Akinyelure, read in part: “The PDP does not have the capacity or the political will to salvage the awful situation of the country and lacks the vision to deal with the pitfalls the party has created.”
He said APC leaders had resolved to re-energise the party through alliances with progressive social elements and groups to salvage the country from alleged stifling of the PDP, adding: “Leadership is not about taking people to where they want to go, but taking them to where they should be.”
On the 2015 general elections, the leaders said: “APC (South-West) must give the coming elections all that is legally necessary, realising that Nigerians are dealing with a trickish and devilish people in power.”
But they warned that the party must review its strategies and redouble its efforts, saying: “Since PDP has turned ruthless and ready to snatch power through a civilian coup. In this respect, we must work more with the people; discontinue everything that will be against the people. All programmes, policies and campaigns must be driven by the interest of the people.”
The leaders also deliberated on the loss of the governorship election in Ekiti State by Governor Kayode Fayemi of APC to Mr. Ayo Fayose of PDP and urged members of the party not to allow the setback revert them to the culture of pedestrian politics, where appeal to the base and banal instincts were the rule.

APC to PDP: You’ve caused setbacks for South-West