AfriPulse
April 30, (THEWILL) — A former member of the Federal House of Representative, Rt. Hon. Israel Sunny-Goli, has described as “opposition failed attempts to score political point” the recent criticism following comments made by the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, during the 50th birthday celebration of the wife of Hon. Leke Abejide.
According to Sunny Goli, despite the cry by some members of the opposition, the Chief of Staff’s message was one of steadfastness and encouraging a high-performing lawmaker to maintain the integrity of the platform he has toiled to build and to resist external interference.
The Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, during the 50th birthday celebration of the wife of Hon. Leke Abejide had urged Hon. Abejide—the sole elected member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the National Assembly—to remain steadfast within his party and charged him to fight and scatter those against him.
Gbajabiamila also encouraged him to fight and hold unto his party as he claimed the Presidency like what he is doing within the ADC and the comment sparked criticism.
But Rt. Hon. Israel Sunny-Goli, who is a Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and a leading Senatorial Aspirant in Bayelsà State, stated in a statement on Tuesday that while critics have attempted to frame these comments as a move to fuel acrimony within the opposition or as an overreach into partisan politics, it is essential to provide a clear and objective context to this exchange.
He said, “Politics, by its very nature, is a game of deft manoeuvring with the primary objective of attaining and sustaining power. It is not the obligation of any political leader, regardless of their position, to manage the internal affairs or resolve the internal friction of opposing parties.
“It is, therefore, unrealistic to expect the President’s Chief of Staff to invite divergent interests within the ADC—or any other party—to a roundtable for amicable resolution.
“Rather than pillorying Rt. Hon. Gbajabiamila for his remarks, they should be viewed as a rallying cry for political resilience.
“By encouraging Hon. Abejide to “hold on” to his party, the Chief of Staff was advocating for the protection of smaller party structures against hostile takeovers by political interlopers.
“In an era where smaller parties face the existential threat of being subsumed by larger entities, this charge serves as an endorsement of a robust, multi-party democracy.
“The attempt by certain interests to sensationalise this innocuous statement is a transparent effort to score cheap political points.
“The Chief of Staff’s message was one of steadfastness: encouraging a high-performing lawmaker to maintain the integrity of the platform he has toiled to build and to resist external interference.
“I implore the public and political commentators to look beyond the “hullabaloo” and recognise the statement for what it truly is: an acknowledgement of political tenacity and a call for leaders to remain loyal to their mandates and party structures.”
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