CONTRARY to insinuations renting the airwaves, former governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala has reaffirmed his commitment to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC as he declared publicly that he remained in the party.
Speaking on Saturday at the empowerment programme and town hall meeting organised by Hon. Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, member, Oyo State House of Assembly representing Ogbomoso North State Constituency held at Masifa DC Primary School, Orita Naira, Ogbomoso, Alao-Akala disclosed that the people of Ogbomoso always align with the ruling party at the Federal level, hence the need for his commitment to the APC both at the state and the federal levels.
It would be recalled that recently the Governor of Oyo state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi brokered a masterstroke of unity, with the ex – governor, Akala, and another political bigwig in the state, Senator Teslim Folarin in London with a view to strengthening the APC ahead of 2019 elections.
Arriving from his United Kingdom trip, former Governor Rashidi Ladoja also held a meeting with Akala, his former deputy allaying fears that he does not nurse any pique with him.
Efforts to lure the Ogbomoso-born politician back to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which he dumped for the Labour Party, LP, in the build-up to the 2015 governorship election in Oyo State, proved abortive as he reechoed that he was not leaving the ruling party.
According to Governor Akala who wore a cap with a bold inscription and distinctive logo of the APC maintained, “for the avoidance of doubt, I just want the people to know that I am in APC. I don’t want to say anything about the merits and demerits of APC, but I can’t leave the APC for PDP. People schemed to get me back to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, but the people of Ogbomoso will like me to be in the APC, I cannot leave my people for another party and that’s final, this is my base, politics is local”.
When asked about his 2019 ambition, the ex- governor said, “everything is in God’s hand, so don’t let us talk about 2019 while we are still trying to put ourselves together, it is too early. Any politician that is seeking for political post now is not a politician.
He continued, “I have told all my followers and everybody in Ogbomoso that we remain in APC.
On the contrary, while reacting to the public declaration of his boss, the Minority leader, Hon Olagunju Ojo who is also a member of the Labour Party said “for now, I am still in Labour Party, LP but anytime, anything can happen”.
Also, speaking with Mega Icon Magazine at the event, Hon Olusegun Olaleye popularly known as ‘Radical brother’ representing Ibadan North II State Constituency described the PDP alliance as dead on arrival, emphasising that the pact will fail.
“The strength of any car is the engine and Akala remains the engine of the Labour party. I told them that Akala is not part of the alliance and Akala has vindicated me today, this is a good news for the APC and Oyo State”, Olaleye reiterated.
