We won’t condone tarnishing of APC’s image – Alao-Akala warns party members

Former Governor of Oyo State, Chief Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala has warned members of the party against going on radio or television to discredit the image of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Alao-Akala, who is the Chairman of the Elders Advisory Council of APC in the State, made this disclosure on Tuesday.

Alao-Akala ruled Oyo State between 2007 and 2011 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The former Governor, who has since 2019 joined APC warned members not to work against the party in the State.

Alao-Akala while addressing some members of the party who came to visit him at his Ibadan residence, declared that the era of impunity and disrespect for party supremacy in the Oyo State had gone.

He maintained that he would not tolerate a situation where members of the party would be going on radio, granting newspaper interviews or going on social media to tarnish the image of the party.

He warned that anyone caught would be sanctioned.

He maintained that the forthcoming APC State congress would be peaceful.

“Anybody that calls him or herself a politician can never be a recognised politician without first belonging to a political party.

“The political party will serve as your Identity. It is on the platform of that political party that you will ply your political trade.

“You can never use your surname to contest and win an election, so why can’t we abide by the rules guiding the party.

“Treating that platform that gave you a political leverage with disdain and disrespect will no longer be tolerated.

“The era of members of the party going on radio, granting newspaper interviews or going on social media to tarnish the hard earned image of the party has come to an end.

“Anybody caught in this web of impunity will be sanctioned appropriately as prescribed by the constitution of the party.

“There are rules of engagement and it will henceforth be followed to the latter. This coming state congress, you members of the party will decide who you want as your leaders.

“Anybody clamouring for the party structure is wasting his or her time. The party has returned to the people who are the members of the party. The people own the party not any leader or stakeholder. Without you followers, we cannot exist as the leaders you call us,” he declared.