From Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
Erstwhile governor of Osun State Chief Bisi Akande, warned yesterday that money politics would wreck the nation’s political system and careers of some politicians, unless it is urgently curtailed.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart lamented that money-politics had eroded the core values of politics, which was to serve the people and expressed worries at the alarming trend of monetization of politics by ‘money bag’ politicians in recent times.
Akande expressed these misgivings at the meeting of Osun APC Elders Forum tagged ‘Agba Osun’ held at his country home in Ila.
The former governor noted that the introduction of money politics into the political system had remained the bane of its development and progress.
He warned the APC leadership not to deviate from the politics of service to the people, no matter the pressure occasioned by the realities of corruption that has constituted the bedrock of the cou ntry’s problems.
In the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the forum frowned at what it described as “strange political practices being imported to the South West, especially politics of stomach infrastructure, money politics and politics of self aggrandizement.”
The APC elders said the ‘alien political practices’ were already eroding the core values of progressive politics to almost non-existence.
The communiqué signed by Sola Akinwumi, the chairman of the group, said this should be discouraged, as it portended serious danger to the nation’s democracy.
The meeting emphasized the need to enforce party discipline and reward loyalty as it was in the past.
It called on everyone to make sure that he delivered his constituency for the party to win The party elders urged all members including elected and appointed political office holders to shun bitterness and work for the success of the party in the July 8 election for Osun West Senatorial District.