APC Leaders Move to Expel Banire

Anayo Okolie

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Mushin constituency of Dr. Muiz Banire, at the weekend called on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to consider as a matter of urgent importance, the removal of Banire, first as the National Legal Adviser of the party, and subsequently expel him from the party.

In a statement issued by the duo of Kehinde Babatunde and Tayo Williams, the party leaders said the urgent call was predicated on several embarrassing and morally deficient situations that Banire had exposed himself to and which had largely affected the image of the party, and in most cases unbecoming of a principal national officer of the party.
Listing some of the alleged untoward activities of Banire, the APC leaders identified his approach to the court recently to secure a judgment against the party in Odi-Olowo local government, after threatening the party to go all out against it as the fallout of council primaries in the state.

“The build up to the judgment as regards the Local Government Elections in Odiolowo was not lost on us. In suit No ID/1838/GCM/2017 before Hon. Justice Okuwobi, Dr. Banire as the National Legal Adviser assigned a legal representative for the defence of the party in the suit, and instructed the legal representative to disavow the party.

“This was evident in his response to the party chairman’s statement against this highly unethical behaviour, wherein he categorically stated that yes he instructed the legal representative to do so, disregarding the possibility that his action could cause the party losing the forthcoming elections.”

Apart from this, the leaders also accused Banire of instigating one of his close allies named Ayo Adeluola to sign a full page advertorial in the Punch newspaper, referring to the party and their leaders as 419, amongst other uncomplimentary remarks.

“The same Ayo Adeluola, a member of MEF (Dr. Banire’s political group) in another attempt to bring the party into disrepute had gone to Channels TV – Politics Today, and called the party leaders in the state names and disparaged them.”

The APC leaders also identified another known ally of Banire and member of MEF, Niyi Akinsiju, who was also said to have signed a full page advertorial in the Punch, eulogising Banire while repeating the same uncomplimentary remarks about the party.

“It is a well-known fact that these two funny characters are members of Banire’s MEF in Mushin. The masquerade finally unveiled itself when Dr. Banire in an interview published in the Sunday Punch, went berserk, referring to the parties hierarchy in Lagos State as thieves, alleging that they sold tickets to candidates among many other issues he raised. In the grossly unfocused interview, he also disregarded and referred to a two-time Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi and the Chairman of the state party electoral committee as a nobody”.
They alleged that “For the avoidance of doubt, Dr. Banire’s Group (MEF) in Mushin did not only threaten to work against the party in Mushin, they have actually defected to Labour Party and picked tickets to contest the forthcoming Local Government elections. This clearly shows the motive and intentions of Dr. Banire to destroy our great party.

“We hereby call on the good people of Mushin and Odiolowo to make the issue of the recall of Hon. Funmi Tejuosho and Hon. Layi Olawale (Members representing the 2 constituencies), who are also members of MEF, to take the issue of recall of these two expeditiously, as both of them have evidently shown in the recent past that they are no longer in support of the party on which platform they became representatives and clearly working against the interest of the constituents.”

APC leaders, who dismissed Banire’s many allegations against the party and instead described him as the “master of imposition” said he had shown clearly to be naïve and lacking in the capacity to distinguish between endorsement and imposition, adding that he only chooses to show understanding in the difference in meaning when it is convenient for him.

As part of the anti-party cases levelled against him, the leaders said “Dr. Banire actually predicted that the party would lose the Osun West Senatorial Election and was bold enough to mull the idea publicly. Same he predicted in Lagos during the gubernatorial elections in 2015.

“This is unbecoming of a high ranking Officer of the party. He also once openly condemned the Governor of Lagos State (who he ordinarily would have spoken to in private) for appointing Sole Administrators, whereas he in his usual inconsistent character joined in celebrating the appointment of the youngest Sole Administrator.

“The recent desperation of Dr. Banire, which made him resort to name calling and casting aspersions on our revered party leaders in the state, is borne out of greed and the urge to continuously entrench in office, members of MEF that have destroyed the goodwill the party enjoys in Mushin and Odiolowo.

“It is often asked too, if morality is a pre-requisite for becoming a SAN, one is apt to conclude that he is acting true to type as his name seems to suggest “Ojubanire” – literarily translated to mean hypocrite. A word is enough for the wise. Let the party act now before it is too late. Enough is enough. We cannot allow the inordinate ambition of an individual to destroy our party,” the statement added.