A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Edo State, John Mayaki, on Sunday blamed President Muhammadu Buhari for the loss of the party in Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.
He accused the president of negligent management of party activities and ‘suicidal’ tolerance of anti-party activities within the ranks.
In a statement made available to journalists in Benin City, Mayaki, who chaired the Media Council of the Edo APC in the 2020 Governorship election maintained that although the President’s non-interference through the infamous ‘federal might’ represents a good development for the country’s democracy, it still doesn’t excuse the observed “abandonment of his obligations as the leader of the party who ought to be spearheading efforts to unite the ranks, enforce loyalty, and expand political control”.
He said: “The anti-party activities of top ranking APC members, governors and ministers under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is to blame for the electoral misfortune of the party in Edo and Osun states.
“Poor reward system of the party and that of the president, if not checked, could impact negatively on the party.
“In Edo State, we have a deformed Assembly lacking the inclusion of the majority because duly elected members are yet to be inaugurated. Mr. President has shown no serious concern about this dangerous development, despite the fact that the affected parties are all members of the party he leads”.
“Under President Buhari, APC governors worked against the party in Edo state similar to how figures in his cabinet have been fingered in the loss of Osun state. But Mr. President won’t lift a finger to either reprimand these party saboteurs, instead he signals tolerance that further emboldens them.”
Mayaki also criticized President Buhari’s refusal to sack non-performing members of his cabinets and government who, according to him, have shown themselves incapable of bringing an end to the insecurity that plagues the country.
