There appears to be divisions among the loyalist and supporters of President Bola Tinubu as the Confederation of APC Support Groups (CASG) on Friday in Abuja protested some of the policies of the present administration.
The Director General of CASG, Prof. Muhammad Kailani, at a media briefing in Abuja said that most of those appointed apart from being too sectional as as can be seen in the ‘Lagos boys’ composition, were also no where to be seen when the support groups were campaigning for Tinubu and the APC to win in 2023.
Daily Trust reports that the CASG has high-profile membership including Senate President Godswill Akpabio and were known to be supporting Tinubu’s policies, including the controversial fuel subsidy removal and economic policies.
Kailani at the briefing, however, said that APC support groups, which worked extensively to support Tinubu’s presidential campaign, have not received promised appointments in government.
He expressed members frustration that, despite Tinubu’s initial commitment to these groups, they have been shut out of federal appointments since Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.
“He (Tinubu) has ignored several of our written and verbal communications in this regard.
“It is an irony that President Tinubu has distanced himself from those who worked tirelessly to secure his victory,” Kailani said.
While lamenting Tinubu’s action of surrounding himself with ‘Lagos boys’ who were not visible during the campaign but now occupy key positions, said, “This is puzzling, given that the ‘Jagaban’ we have known over the years is someone who stands by his word.”
He also urged President Tinubu to order a thorough investigation into actions of security agencies allegedly responsible for detaining minors involved in #Endbadhovernance anti-government protests in August this year.
He urged President Tinubu to address what the overzealous attitude of the security agencies, which they claim tarnished Nigeria’s image on the global stage.
He said, “We strongly appeal to Mr. President to initiate a probe into this behavior by security agencies, which displayed an undue use of force.”
He said that the Nigerian constitution and international charters exempt minors from prosecution on charges such as treason.
Kailani said, “The Nigerian police are well aware of these protections, and officers responsible should be held accountable as a deterrent.”
President Tinubu’s office has yet to respond to the APC Support Groups’ protests on the appointments.