OKEDARA CLINCHES SOUTHWEST ZONAL LEADERSHIP AS APC SUPPORT GROUPS SET TO BECOME AN ORGAN OF APC

Salisu Magaji Consolidates AASG, Weeds Out Suspected Anti-Tinubu Elements

Story by Ololade Barakat

ALIMOSHO may have recorded another silent feat of victory in the post 2023 general elections. This came as one of the veteran politicians in the Local Government emerged as the Southwest Zonal Coordinator of a national political body, Association of Amalgamated Support Groups (AASG). The AASG is a coalition of the over 2000 presidential supports groups that worked for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 general elections. The unification election which was held on September 16, 2023 produced Engr Salisu Magaji (COREN) as the Director General (DG).

Emerging developments within the AASG report that the DG Madgaji may have made a move to further consolidate the firmness of the new potential organ of APC by nipping in the bud, the attempt to create internal rift that may undermine the stability of the group in its yet early life of one month old.

In a release to the effect of the substance of the unification election, Mr. Abbas Abdullahi Yakasau, who was the Returning Officer (RO), said the election to produce the AASG National Executives was a mark of new history in the politics of Nigeria, where all support groups would make a move for existential survival after discharging their roles in a general election. To this end, as he put it, “I hereby announce that today, being Saturday of September 16, 2023, we have conducted the election of AASG National Executives and do hereby announce the following results and position contested so far”, Yakasu said.

In a released list of the new executives Civics Weekly was privileged to get a possession, Engr. Salisu Magaji emerged as the Director General with two Deputy Director General (DDG) for the North and south each. Hon Adewale Adeogun is the DDG for the North while Hon Dahiru Amadiko became the DDG for the North.

The National Secretary goes to the Southeast for Hon Lord Butches Emmanuel Nwosu. The Assistant Director General to hold as zonal heads for the six geo-political zones are Hon Faisal Lawal (North West), Alhaji Umar Faruq (North Central), Hon Abba Chafari James Ndombari Hong (North East), Alhaja Karimot Akinpelu (South West), Dr Vivian Ugoeze (South East), Dr. Anthonia Okwudebonye (South South).

Com Okedara Kolawole who became the South West Zonal Coordinator from Lagos was the Director General for the Movement for Greater Nigeria (MGN), one of the Alimosho based presidential support group in the past election. He has been a frontline politician of repute, a grassroots mobiliser who has paid his due in the Alimosho Progressives as acknowledged by many leaders of the APC. In his versatility during electioneering time, he served as the Secretary for Transport and Logistics Directorate (Lagos West 1) in the 2023 general election.

The need to harmonise the support groups may have come as a panacea to the concern of many of them that they were being left out in the scheme of things as President Bola Tinubu settled down for appointments into Federal Public Officies. This magazine gathered that after several consultations with the relevant party stakeholders, who included the immediate past APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi adamu, the coalition into a unified body was mooted as the imperative path to tread. That made the steps to the formation of AASG.

It was also gathered that the coming of the unified body was informed by the advice that the umbrella body may as well become a standing subsidiary party organ for independent grassroots mobilisers. According to sources, this was affirmed by the National Chairman of the party Dr. Umar Ganduje, who reportedly received the new AASG National Executives at his Abuja residence.

Interestingly, the conduct of the election came at a time coincidental to the APC victory at the court for its Kano State governorship election. The DG-led visit was therefore a cause to also rejoice with the former governor of Kano State for the triumph over his traducers.

Given the success of conducting the National executives’ polls, activities have been stepped up to conduct the elections that will put in place the state, LGA and Ward levels’ structure of AASG.

Meanwhile, Civics Weekly recently gathered that the Magaji’s coalition body has started experiencing internal rift from what some stakeholders have described as “ideological misalignment” among the new Executives. The report blames this for the alleged “explusion” of the elected Deputy DG South, Adewale Adeogun, which this magazine was not able to confirm at the race to press. He was alleged to have engaged in “subterfuge and disloyalty” activities implied by his “creation of a parallel AASG platform without the knowledge and consent of the DG”, the source said.

Earlier, news had emerged as published in some national dailies that some support groups yet disgruntled about their neglect in the ongoing appointments by the President were bent on going to the street for a protest to show their grievances. However, some of the members of AASG spoken to by this magazine denied any possibility of getting involved in such protest.

One of them said: “It is very important to say categorically that it (the protest) is never in our plan. The originally registered over 2000 APC support groups under the leadership of Engr. Salisu Mogaji as the DG amalgamated body are not ready for any protest to agitate for inclusiveness in this government. We know the means and method to go about demanding for our place in our government under our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We however acknowledge that it should not be out of place for us to demand for our place as a partner in progress with this new government, having played our complementary roles for the success in the elections”.