The Centre for the Advocacy of Human Rights and Social Justice supports the Ogun East Senatorial District caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s decision to only let properly accredited members attend its recent meeting. They say this was necessary to keep order, discipline, and the integrity of the institution.
The group, led by Olufemi Akindele, sent out a press release to reporters that said the controversy over the supposed exclusion of Senator Gbenga Daniel was being blown out of proportion. They also stressed that all members, no matter what their status, must respect the party’s structures.
The group said that caucus meetings are not open to the public and are run by clear rules. They also said that attendance is usually based on being invited and recognized within the party hierarchy. It said that the choice to limit participation was not random or aimed at a specific group, but rather in line with established rules meant to make sure that discussions were productive.
The statement said that trying to make the development look like an attack on Senator Daniel was wrong. It also said that party mechanisms shouldn’t be misrepresented in a way that could confuse the public or cause unnecessary conflict.
The caucus’s choice to only let invited stakeholders in is in line with how political parties should act in a democracy. “The group said, “Discipline, order, and respect for procedure are the pillars on which any credible political institution must stand.”
The Centre also told Daniel to show statesmanship by respecting party decisions and using internal channels to voice any concerns instead of publicly criticizing them. It said that the former governor, as a high-ranking member of the party, should set an example of democratic behavior and help the party stay together instead of tearing it apart.
The group told supporters to be careful and not get the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, involved in what it called a purely party-driven issue. It said again that the state government did not call the meeting in question; party stakeholders did so within the limits of the law.
“It is important for political leaders to keep party management and governance separate. The statement went on to say, “Bringing the governor into this issue only makes a simple organizational process more political.”
The group stressed that healthy democracies depend on following the rules and making decisions together, not on individual ideas of what is fair. It said that constant public attacks on party processes could hurt internal democracy and be a bad example for younger members.
In the end, the Center asked everyone in the APC to stay committed to unity and due process. It also asked Senator Daniel to follow the rules of party discipline and democratic engagement when settling disagreements.
