The deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yusuff Sulaimon Lasun, has denied rumour making the round that he planned along with others to leave the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in order to form another political party.
A statement signed by the Deputy Speaker’s chief press secretary, Wole Oladimeji, on Tuesday and made available to LEADERSHIP quoted Lasun as saying that, as a critical stakeholder in the APC both in his native Osun State and the nation at large, it was “unthinkable” for him to contemplate leaving the party he helped to build at this material time.
“The attention of the Office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives has been drawn to a story in one of the National dailies wherein it was insinuated that the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Sulaimon Lasun Yussuff with others are planning to leave the party ultimately to form another party.
“It should be noted that this insinuation is far from the truth let alone having the Deputy Speaker at this crucial time of the nation’s history leaving such a mega and robust party in the whole of Africa.
“The Deputy Speaker has always being a committed party faithful even from the days of AD when he was the secretary of the party at the state, the position which he served meritoriously well.
“Rt Hon Lasun was also a strong pillar of the party in Osun when the party metamorphosed from AD to ACN and also rally support for the eventual formation of the APC.
“It is therefore, unthinkable for such a strong pillar, a founding member and a leader of the party both in the state and at the national level to nurse the thought of leaving the party.
“It is believed in Yorubaland that you do not destroy a house or home you labour to build in a twinkle of an eye, so APC remains my body and soul,” he said.
However, the statement noted that there was nothing on ground to suggest that the Deputy Speaker can be frustrated out of the party as there are mechanisms in place in the party to amicably resolve misunderstanding, if any, among party members who are otherwise more of the same family.
“I remain a towering pillar of the party, so I remain committed to the party,” Lasun maintained.
