We the Leaders of APC in Mushin (the constituency of Dr Muiz Banire), unequivocally call on the National Working Committee of the Party to consider as a matter of urgency, the removal of Dr Muize Banire as the National Legal Adviser and subsequently expel him from the party.
This urgent call is predicated upon several embarrassing morally deficient situations he had exposed himself to which has largely affected the image of the party and anti-party activities unbecoming of a principal officer of the party.
Some of these untoward activities are listed but not limited to those highlighted below;
ON THE COURT JUDGEMENT AGAINST THE PARTY IN ODIOLOWO.
In an interview he granted and published in the Punch Newspapers. Dr Banire alluded to a statement that he would go to court to contend and speak against the party. Truly, he did.
The build up to the judgement as regards the Local Government Elections in Odiolowo was not lost on us. In suit NoID/1838/GCM/2017 before Honourable 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.
We also noted with despair that, Dr Banire deliberately failed to furnish the Lagos State APC Secretariat and the Odiolowo Constituency with details of the matter in court. It would have been most reasonable that he request a legal representative from the state APC to join the legal team. This deliberate dereliction of duty to ensure the party lost the case speaks volumes.
PUBLICATIONS AGAINST THE PARTY:
A close ally of Dr Muiz Banire and frustrated ex-PDP member, Ayo Adeluola had signed a full page advertorial in punch newspaper referring to the party and our esteemed 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.
In a related development a known protégée of Dr Banire and member of MEF Niyi Akinsiju also 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 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 Fedral Republic of Nigeria, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi and the Chairman of the state party electoral committee as a nobody.
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.
For instance, Hon Lai Olawale had referred to leaders of the party in Mushin as “so called leaders” using unprintable words to describe them in the social media. How then does he lobby the political leaders in government to the advantage of his people?
BANIRE: THE MASTER OF IMPOSITION
For Dr Muiz Banire to have falsely alleged at various fora that the leaders of our party impose candidates, obviously shows he is naïve not to know the difference between endorsement and imposition.
If by his position, endorsement means imposition then it is most unfortunate.
The following pertinent questions should be answered by him.
1. How come his AGE LONG PARTNER Hon (MRS) Funmi Tejuosho who was impeached as Deputy Speaker has been a member of the State House of Assembly for 4 consecutive terms (16years)? At some point she was even defeated by Hounorable Razaq Ajala in primaries. Who upturned the results of that election? Is that the meaning of imposition?
2. How did the Late Hon. Adepitan (former Executive Chairman, Mushin Local Government) and all the counsellors emerge in the last elected Government?
Was there any primaries? NO!
Who drew up the list? Does that look like an imposition?
3. How was the executive of the Party in Mushin constituted? Was it through elections or imposition? Who compiled the list?
For Muiz, it is endorsement if it favours him but IMPOSITION if it doesn’t.
ANTI-PARTY ACTIVITIES
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 usually 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.
For instance, funds meant for the library named after him (Muiz Banire Libraryin Mushin local government), was grossly misappropriated to the extent that till date no single book nor furniture is in the library which has turned to a den of miscreants.
One wonders why the EFCC arraigned Justice Fishim for allegedly receiving bribe and left out Dr Banire who was alleged to have given the bribe.
This issue had caused so much embarrassment to the party to the extent that it is becoming indefensible against the opposition that APC is truly against corruption.
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 seem 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. Bi iku ile o pani, tode o le pani.
Enough is enough. We cannot allow the inordinate ambition of an individual to destroy our Party
