The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, has dissociated the party from individuals making derogatory remarks about civil servants in Osun State.
Basiru, while meeting with former Local Government Education Authority, LGEA, officials at his residence in Osogbo on Friday, said such comments neither represent the position nor the ideology of the party.
The APC scribe described civil servants as critical stakeholders in the state’s political and developmental growth, noting that they remain a major factor in the party’s quest for victory in the Aug. 15 governorship election.
He stressed that the APC would never support statements capable of insulting or diminishing the dignity of civil servants.
“Those who go on radio to challenge workers over their numerical strength in Osun are not speaking for the APC. The party did not send them, and they do not represent our position in any way.
“Civil servants are enlightened people. They are respected in their communities, and people listen to them because they understand governance and leadership.
“I have enormous respect for them, and nobody has the authority to insult them in the name of our party,” he said.
Bashiru appealed to workers in the state not to direct their grievances against the APC over comments made by individuals acting on their own.
“I want to appeal to our civil servants not to use their influence against the APC because of careless statements from some individuals.
“Those comments are personal opinions and not the official position of our party,” he said.
Basiru also warned APC members and candidates against complacency ahead of the governorship election, insisting that victory would only come through hard work, unity and reconciliation within the party.
“I don’t believe in automatic victory. There is nothing like that in politics. We must work in every ward and every polling unit, and we must appeal to those who are aggrieved,” he said.
He urged all APC stakeholders to prioritise the victory of the party’s governorship candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, and advised National and State Assembly aspirants not to focus solely on their personal ambitions but on the Aug. 15 governorship poll.
“Let me say this clearly: if we fail to secure victory for Oyebamiji on Aug. 15, your Senate and House of Representatives tickets in the APC are like bread labels,” he said.
Basiru called for unity within the party, urging members to avoid internal conflicts and channel their energy towards ensuring the APC’s return to power in Osun.
