APC Groups In Lagos Dissolved As Tinubu Cuts Aregbesola ‘To Size’
All political groups within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos have been dissolved.
The Mandate Group and the Justice Forum, the two most powerful groups, will no longer exist, according to the communique issued by the party leaders in the state after a meeting on Tuesday.
This is coming two weeks after Rauf Aregbesola, minister of interior, reorganised the Mandate Group without the endorsement of Bola Tinubu, national leader of the APC.
The relationship between Tinubu and Rauf Aregbesola, his associate, has been growing cold, NEWS DIRECT can report.
There are insinuations that Aregbesola, former governor of Osun state, is interested in running for president in 2023 — an ambition that may pit him against Tinubu, who is also believed to be warming up.
Aregbesola has, however, denied nursing any presidential ambition.
But TheCable learnt that the uneasy relationship between Aregbesola and Gboyega Oyebola, his successor in Osun state, might be a bigger factor.
The Mandate Group — made up of Tinubu’s core loyalists — was relaunched by Aregbesola, who remained as the grand patron, on May 26, 2020.
Abdullahi Enilolobo, the APC organising secretary in the state, was picked as the new chairman and James Odunmbaku was moved up as the “apex leader”.
Enilolobo is a known loyalist of Aregbesola.
The relaunch took place at his Ikeja GRA residence.
‘APC IS ONE GROUP, ONE FAMILY’
In the communique signed by 27 party chieftains who are members of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), they said “it was unequivocally resolved that all factions like JG and MG are inimical to party unity and are hereby permanently disbanded and prohibited within the party.
“Party members should no longer make use of these factions or their names with regard to future party business and activities. To continue to hold meetings in the name of these groups or to continue to promote such associations will amount to a violation of this resolution.
