Banjo cites poor leadership in his party

A three-time governorship candidate of the Ogun State Chapter of the National Conscience Party, NCP, Lanre Banjo, has resigned his membership of the party. He said the present leadership of the party, led by Yunusa Tanko, had lost focus and deviated from the original ideals of the party.

Mr. Banjo, in his resignation letter to the National Secretariat of the party, stated that those with foresight would discern that the NCP under the present leadership was gradually sinking.

“As a result of your disdainful deviation from the original ideals of the party and, of course, mastered ability of certain officers to goad certain animals called human beings under your secured lifetime ambitious chairmanship, NCP has been taken over by vermin and unprincipled leadership whose main objectives are to condone illegality, harbor contemptuous behaviors that contradict the party’s Constitution and of course to clandestinely push aside knowledgeable and intelligent officers of the party to enable you become an Emperor,” he said.

Mr. Banjo said there was no doubt that the party had jettisoned its known objectives. He said the egregious behavior that will hinder the progress of the party was now the order of the day.

“As a result, several prominent and founding members have left the NCP because of lack of sincere leadership. So, I found it difficult, as a principled member of the party who has labored since 1994 for the growth of the Party in Nigeria and Diaspora, to continue to accommodate the style of herdsman leadership prevailing in the party. Since, I am not a genre of animal that can be goaded by anyone for any reason other than nationalism and patriotism, I have taken a conscious resolution not to be in this sinking boat, to save myself the embarrassment of having to haphazardly jump out of it,” he stated.

Mr. Banjo recalled that he was a founding member of the party alongside late Gani Fawehinmi. He noted that as a patriotic Nigerian, he facilitated the launch of the party in the United States of America in September 1994 with the permission of Mr. Fawehinmi.

“Our vision to build a virile party directed by highly principled officers was the catalyst for my friend and I to pay for the registration of NCP, at my prompt, in 2003. This mental image was also the reason for me to further raise funds to pay for the rent of the national secretariat in Abuja to enable us qualify for the registration of the party by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and to ameliorate the financial burden on Chief Fawehinmi who was the only financier of the party at that time. This is just to mention a few of my indelible contributions to NCP which some amoral and benighted officers of the party have now turned into personal estates to achieve their pecuniary gains,” he said.

Mr. Banjo also said if Mr. Fawehinmi were alive, he would have caused a suit to be instituted against NCP under Mr. Tanko, or issue a public statement to denounce it.

“As for me, any egret that does not want her wing stained must stay clear of a dye carrier, particularly corrupt ones. A peacock must respect her beauty in the midst of birds. It is therefore time for me to take a bow from the NCP,” he said.