Senator Adesoji Akanbi will for a long time remain a Spanish version of political magnifico in Oyo Politics, particularly considering his father figure in Oyo South senatorial district that he last represented in the red Chambers. His exit from APC barely few months to the last polls was a proverbial worst sorrow for the party.

Only an eternal students of Politics in Oyo state will downplay the defection of Senator Soji Akanbi popularly called “Okanlomo ” by his teeming admirers as quotidian occurrence in Politics. You don’t expect a party to keep it’s glory when it has ingloriously pressed an exit buttons to its major strikers. Only people without a conscience ,to whom evil is ecstasy, will go on emotional binge for loosing a goose that is reputed for laying a golden egg.

With the benefit of hindsight, it was a bitter pill for Senator Soji Akanbi to swallow to finally take a bow out of an empire he co built as a progressive. The mien of SOJ to the unedifying pronouncement inside the hallowed Chambers by the then Senate President , Bukola Saraki was unmistakable . No sooner had the apparently enthusiastic Senator Bukola mentioned that among the “big fish ‘ that had been trapped to hitch into PDP train from APC was Senator Soji Akanbi than the latter mounted the soap box to refute what was later known to be unfounded claim . It could have been a slam dunk for PDP, a party that was leaving no stone unturned to wrestle power from the ruling party preparatory to the last election. It was more like political somnambulism for the Senate president who had earlier dangled PDP automatic tickets to any turncoats. To SOJ , APC is home.

Stating the reason deitre for SOJ ‘s final decision to move out of his beloved party would amount to unnecessary repetition as he had personally laid bare the ground for his actions without grandstanding on several occasions.

One may ask , had SOJ stayed put in APC , what difference could it have made? A lot if I may say.

As a lengthened shadow and defacto engine room of his new bride, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) , the financial contribution he made to steady the boat of that party could have possibly been saved to strengthen APC.

It’s also obvious for a new emphasis that APC presidential candidate in the last election lost by hairs margin in Oyo state. See the statistics that provided strong evidence to how that ugly fate could have been reversed.

PDP polled 366, 690 votes
APC polled 365, 229
ADC came a distant third with 40, 830 votes.

While it can’t be argued that both APC and PDP were strong footed in Oyo state and heavily prepared for the election, the ADC presidential candidate, Mr Obadiah Mailafia was relatively unknown. Some people even claimed there was not a single poster or billboards of his in any corner. It therefore became glaring that if hundreds of SOJ faithfuls who cast their votes for ADC had voted for APC presidential candidate, the defeat ,which was quite narrow, could have been averted.

It leaves a sour taste in the mouth of many political observers that a party that has a winning streak to deliver massively for President Buhari in 2015 and towers above other states could end up eating an humble pie four years later. Discerning minds have heaped the blame of reversal of electoral fortune in Oyo state on Governor Ajimobi’s over bloated political clout, a delusion of grandeur that eventuated in politics of exclusion.

2015 presidential election results in Oyo state, the APC conveniently secured  528,620 votes, while the PDP scored 303,376 votes.

The same scenario played out in both Senatorial and Federal House of Representatives election in Oyo South where APC candidates were mauled by some insignificant votes by PDP.

Talking of  Ibadan North West / South West federal constituency which is Senator Akanbi’s political strongholds, , the APC candidate, Hon. Fijabi Saheed would have been dancing “Azonto” after the election if SOJ had offered him a bulwark of political solidarity to rest on. See the results:

Stanley Olajide (PDP) had 28, 367 votes against Mr Saheed Fijabi who polled a total of 25, 560 votes.

What also remained a “squandered hope ” of APC to coast home victories in both Oyo South Senatorial District and even the Governorship elections couldn’t have been a mirage if ‘Okanlomo’ had thrown his weight behind APC. For example , if the Oyo South Senatorial ticket had not eluded the grasp of SOJ, his soaring credibility going by his stellar records in the zone could have saved APC from ignominy. Senator Adesoji Akanbi could have deployed into use his political sense of ” cognito circa rem’ to win landslide. With APC having three senators, the , rest could have been history so to say.

The gospel truth is that “APC fielded a candidate with a limbo existing in a negative dialectics in the eyes of the electorates to fly it’s flag in Oyo South , the jarring defeat was predictable as the party itself staggered into the election with heavy burden on it’s head.

Political pundits in Oyo state would have expected Governor Ajimobi to borrow a leaf from Senator Bola Tinubu who sacrificed his Senatorial ambition in 2007 for the party to flourish. Tinubu would have won the Senate seat against Hon Ganiyu Solomon that time but the party would have received bruises in it’s overriding interest in reclaiming Lagos State and South West  region .

By and large, if Senator Adesoji Akanbi (Okanlomo) had not been denied ticket for Ajimobi , ‘ the capo dei capi’  to sub late his own self interest, who knows APC might have not been ineluctably battered and scattered like shards from a bottle dropped from the great height. Adesoji Akanbi,  no doubt is a factor anytime, any day in Oyo Politics.

It’s amazing that Senator Akanbi Adesoji who trailed uncharted political path ADC barely few weeks to the election nearly hit 50,000 votes.

Former Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the  APC polled 92, 218, Akanbi Rilwan Adesoji  (ADC) scored 49,417 and Kola Balogun  (PDP) secured 105, 270

Will APC rebound in Oyo state? Has Oyo APC learned it’s lessons in a hard way? Will the party emerge stronger from it’s present point of weakness ? Only Time will tell.

By Adesokan Sodeinde ,

A public affairs analyst and staunch APC member, writes from Eruwa , Oyo state.

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Before his recently resigned appointment, he was an Executive Director/Chief Financial Officer at First Bank. Prior to that, he held the positions of General Manager as the West African Regional Head of Finance and Strategy (Consumer Banking Business) for Standard Chartered Bank from where he was head-hunted in 2009. Bayo holds a First Class degree in Accounting from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and he is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) a fellow of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (FCIB) and an Associate member of the Institute of Directors of Nigeria and the UK (AIOD).

https://iso.keq.mybluehost.me/cbn-injects-another-210-million-into-forex-market/

Through his Bayo Adelabu Foundation (BAF), quite a number of people have benefitted from scholarships, grants and various empowerment programs for the past 12years. He also has businesses across the State which provide employment for well over 500 people.

For some months now, different groups in Oyo state have been clamouring for Bayo to run for the seat of Governor of the State. His commitment to the State in terms of development has been second to none but his qualification is what stands him out at such a very young age of 47.

Bayo is the grandson of the late Ibadan political Icon, Adegoke Adelabu popularly known as Penkelemesi.

With this bold move, political watchers expect that Bayo Adelabu will officially make his political intentions known publicly and formally very soon.

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APC leaders and stakeholders across Ibarapaland hosted Dr. Ayandele and a large crowd of his supporters to a special reception at the Multipurpose Hall of the Ibarapa East Local Government Council secretariat, Eruwa on Saturday where they declared their support for the project.

EASTER: Oyo Governorship Aspirant, Ayandele Urges Nigerians to Embrace Peace, Tolerance

In his address at the epoch event, the Chairman of the APC Elder’s Council in Ibarapa zone, Pa Timothy Jolaoso, remarked that the decision to support the ambition of Dr. Ayandele transcended his being ”a son of the soil but for the fact that he possesses the wherewithal to govern the Pacesetters State successfully.”

“We have conducted a background check on Dr. Sola Ayandele and we discovered that he would make an ideal governor for our dear state from 2019. Apart from his scintillating academic attainment, he has a vast experience in both the public and private sectors of the global economy. He is one of the largest employers of labour in Nigeria today”, Jolaoso stated.

Oyo 2019: Senator Akanbi Seeks Ibarapa Elders’ Support to Succeed Ajimobi

Also speaking at the occasion, Chief Silas Lasunsi expressed his delight at the determination of Ayandele to aspire to be governor of the state. “This is a dream come true because most people didn’t believe our zone could produce the best among the pack of those aspiring to rule Oyo State after the incumbent governor who has raised the bar of governance to an enviable height.

“We have no doubt in our minds that he (Ayandele) would take the state to the Promise Land in no time if given the opportunity. His antecedents and exploits in the global space speak volume as to what the good people of the state should expect from his administration. We can only implore APC delegates and the electorate to consider merit in their choice at the time of elections.”

Dr. Olusola Ayandele, and wife, Olayinka at the event

Responding, Dr. Ayandele thanked the organizers of the event for honouring him “in a wonderful and astonishing way” which, according to him, would serve as the necessary elixir and a motivational reference throughout his electioneering campaigns.

His words; “I am more than elated to get this kind of support from home at the start of this mission and I thank our reverred elders, leaders and other stakeholders for being part of this memorable occasion. My resolve is to serve the state diligently without discrimination against any zone or person for whatever reasons. We would soon roll out our programmes and manifesto which I believe would convince the world of our strong will to deliver as desired.”

Party chieftains and leaders at the occasion included; Alh. Laide Abas, Hon. Rafiu Ojegoke, Elder Dayo Adeola, Chief T. A Adenrele, Deacon S. A Ayanleke, Apostle Samson Aderounmu, Alh. K. O Jinadu, Hon. Francis Babalola, Prince Lukman Tijani.

Others are, Hon. Yemi Akinlabi, Hon. Atanda Adeloore, Alh. Tajudeen Gbolagade, Alh. Ajiboye Akinsanya and Hon. Ademola Ojo.

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Olaniyan was at the Popoyemoja palace of the traditional ruler and was received by High Chief Hamidu Ajibade, the Ekarun Olubadan of Ibadanland.

Introducing the former Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OYSROMA) boss to Oba Adetunji, the high chief described the aspirant as humanitarian, stressing that he had helped a lot of people not just in Ibadanland but the entire state.

He said as OYSROMA boss, Olaniyan supervised the construction of several roads within the Ibadan metropolis and all over the state.

High Chief Ajibade further added, “aside his pedigree and commitment to service of humanity, Olaniyan is also a man of honesty and integrity”.

He thereafter said the aspirant was at the palace to receive the royal blessing of the Olubadan for his ambition in 2019, adding that at this time of the polity, Oyo needed an experienced technocrat like Olaniyan to rule over its affairs.

Speaking on the purpose of his visit, the aspirant, Olaniyan, who thanked the royal father, Olubadan of Ibadanland for the audience, reemphasized that his political philosophy was engineered towards the welfare of the people, noting that once the people were taken care of, meaningful development would naturally take place.

Revealing part of his plans, he said developing human capital through qualitative education would be the focal point of his administration, adding that he would also champion developmental projects that would be of benefits to the people, not just in Ibadan alone, but the entire state.

In his response, the custodian of culture, Oba Adetunji prayed for the aspirant that his aspiration would come to pass.

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The former Ajumose Coalition Movement (ACM), now christened Itesiwaju-Oyo Coalition Movement (ICM) reechoed its readiness to actively participate in the forthcoming general elections by sensitising, mobilising as well as serving as campaigners of new dawn of good governance in the next general elections.

The group disclosed this yesterday in a meeting convened by the stakeholders which was held at state secretariat of Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association(NATA), Olomi, Ibadan.

According to the stakeholders, the decision to rename and reposition the organisation for the future engagements was jointly reached at the expansive gathering where its previous activities in the stability of the social, economic and political affairs of the state since formation were reviewed.

Restating their total commitments and support towards the growth and development of the group, the stakeholders expressed total confidence in the leadership of its pioneer coordinator, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun.

The ex- council boss of Ibadan North West Local Government, Olatunbosun, who also chaired the Contact and Mobilisation Committee of  Abiola Ajimobi’s  governorship projects midwived the birth of the socio – political group to champion the 2015 re-election of the incumbent governor, Abiola Ajimobi and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Meanwhile, the efforts of the Itesiwaju Oyo Coalition Movement towards the welfares of its members has also received a huge boost as the group entered into a partnership deal with an Ibadan based Non-Government Organisation(NGO) dubbed Pillars and Vision Foundation to empower the affiliated units of the group against the militating economic hardship in their various areas of specialisation.

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Mega Icon Magazine checks, however revealed that this did not signaled any positivity, as the governor’s aide, Dr. Morohunkola Thomas dismissed such claims describing them as political illiterates.

The Executive Assistant to the Governor on Political Matters, Thomas stressed, “does it make sense to be anointing somebody that will take over in May 2019? Those who says Governor Ajimobi has endorsed or thrown his weight behind a particular candidate are political illiterates, and I say that with all sense of  responsibilities that they don’t know what they are saying.

“Ajimobi has no anointed candidate. He has not told me, I have not seen it in his body language, it’s a level playing ground for everybody, many people will still join the race”, he added.

He emphasized that the governor has shown the qualities for the kind of candidate that will succeed him, saying that such aspirant must be intelligent, morally disciplined, well exposed, grounded in politics, among others.

Contrary to insinuations that the governor is not a politician, but an opportunist, Dr. Thomas explained that the governor was born into a political family, stressing that he just didn’t became a Senator in 2003, but from the inception of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), then in 1999, he has been in the political system.

“I was in the apex committee of Lam Adesina Campaign Organization and Ajimobi was one of the people who financed that election. If the man has been in the system since 1999 till now and within that period he has been  Senator and he has been Governor twice that means he is grounded politically, his successor must also be grounded politically, he must be as intelligent, if not more than Ajimobi, he must try to surpass the bar.

“You can’t take away his intellect, which he has demonstrated severally, he has mixed with the poor and the rich, the aristocrat and the masses, we need somebody like that. We are not looking for someone who is coming from his high horse. So, he must be an all round person, its not that I have been a billionaire for x number of years or I have been a politician, no exposure, nothing.

“We want a well grounded person and an all rounder, intelligent, suave , exposed, professional, political grounded that knows how many poling wards, units we have, where people are voting and not that I have money and I am coming to contest. People of Oyo state are expecting that the legacies of Ajimobi should be sustained and anybody who is coming after him should have a capacity and capability to sustain these legacies and surpass it”, the governor’s aide submitted.

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Shittu gave the hint on Saturday in an interactive session with members of Southwest Group of Online Publishers (SWEGOP) in Ibadan.

The minister stated that going by his vast experience, having served in all the three branches of government made him the best-placed candidate, saying that this will certainly add a lot of value to the benefit of Oyo state.

Shittu also expressed certitude that he will clinch the APC’s ticket, just as he guaranteed maximum support and assistance from the leadership of the party in the state.

In his words: “let me assure you that everyone of them will support me and I dare say even; that Ajimobi will support me by the Grace of God, I can foresee that he will be the one to raise my hand up as the candidate of the party.

“Governor Ajimobi is appreciative of what Oke Ogun has done for him in the 2015 elections when Ibadan refused to vote for him. They voted for Accord party, but we in Oke Ogun voted  for Governor Ajimobi and true to type he tells everybody that it is the turn of Oke Ogun.

“But that is not to say that I want to be measured on the standard of coming from Oke Ogun because by every yardstick of merit, not just because I come from Oke Ogun, I am the most qualified of all the candidates. I have served in the executive, I have served in the legislature and served in the judiciary and today by the grace of God I am the minister, the experience I have had as a minister of communications will certainly add a lot of value to the benefit of Oyo state”.

Promising to do things differently in tandem with what the late sage and political idol, Awolowo did, the ex-lawmaker, Shittu claimed, ” I am the only one who has had direct training at Awolowo’s political feat while he was alive, the greatest politician that ever lived in Nigeria.

“I sat with him, we formulate policies together, policies about free Education, free health services, policies about employment for all and policies about integrated infrastructural and rural development. I have all of these in my brain and I assure the people of  this state that my regime will be a refreshingly different from every other government that has ever happened.

“I am not kidding. For me, if I had started politics at age 26 and I am now 64 and consistently I have been in politics, nobody have such credentials, for me politics is the most important business anybody can do because it is through politics that you can impact the greatest value into the lives of people”, he maintained.

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It is obvious that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State is currently undergoing such challenge as the party sharply divided into two major splinter groups, labeled LAMIST and SENACO. Members of the LAMIST group are said to be loyal to a former leader of the party in the state, late Lam Adesina.

While the SENACO members were those that worked with the incumbent governor, Abiola Ajimobi when he contested the governorship election of the state in 2007 on the platform of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

However, the Executive Assistant on political matters to Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Barrister Morohunkola Thomas in this interview with Mega Icon Magazine described the claims of loyalty to SENACO and LAMIST as a creation of lazy members of the party.

Excerpts:

Is it true that there is crisis in Oyo APC?

Crisis? I can’t see it.

Some  people are accusing  the  governor of not running an all inclusive government, that party-government relationship is not cordial as it should be?

Who are the people in government here, are they not party members? You want to talk about the SENACO , LAMIST which is a figment  of people’s imagination. People use that to corner things for themselves. In this government which Governor  Ajimobi is a leader, the so called SENACO and LAMIST, have their members here but when people don’t get certain things they would say they lost it because they belong to  SENACO or LAMIST.

If you are  not popular within your  local government, if you are not hardworking within  the party  and you are not recommended by your people, you may never get anything .The governor will never appoint somebody without due consultation and involvement of  the  leaders in the party , he is always waiting for  recommendations of the leaders.

Take for instance, the newly appointed local government caretaker chairmen, the governor  set up a selection and appointment committee made up of  leaders from all the seven zones, these were the people that sat down to take nominations from the various  local governments and made their recommendations to the governor. Many of the  local government chairmen that were sworn in were never known personally by the  governor so you have to go back to the local government, you have to work in your wards  and local governments, forget about whether you are SENACO or you are LAMIST, those things don’t work again.

What is LAMIST? Those people that said they are following Lam Adesina, you don’t follow a dead person, and what is SENACO, they said Senator Ajimobi Campaign Organization, is Ajimobi a Senator ? He is a governor now so there is no Senator Ajimobi Campaign Organization again, that organization existed in 2003, the man stop being a Senator in 2007, he is a governor now and the governor has said this issue of SENACO, LAMIST is the creation of lazy people in the party, people who don’t have intimidating credentials that will make way for them, within the system  and now hide under the fact that I didn’t get it because I am SENACO, or I got it because I am LAMIST, that is not true, those era of LAMISM, SENACOISM is gone in our party.

What about the claims that the governor is not in tune with majority of the party executives and members?

Well I don’t know about that. The party executives were elected into office at a congress in 2014 and by 2018 their time will be up, you have to come for re-election. Has this governor removed anybody from the executives?  He hasn’t  and some governors have dissolved the executives in their states, but governor Ajimobi has been magnanimous enough.

Remember, these executives that are in place now, he was not the one that put them there, he had the opportunity of changing them in 2014 but he did not do so, so there is no problem when the time comes for the new executives to be put there, if you are interested you can take a nomination form, you run  for  the election, if the people elect you so be it, Ajimobi will not be party chairman, he is the leader of the party.

But party members are worried about the new concept of Directorate which seems to be alien?

There is nothing alien about that, if you read the constitution of APC very well, it makes serious  profound clearly stated provision for the establishment of  Directorate in the party, as a matter of fact, the constitution state  very clearly, unambiguously that the directors ought to run the  party , its only the party secretary that is supposed to be running it with them, all other members of the executives  should be coming once in a while, so what we are running now is not a constitutionally provided situation, it is the convention, a tradition.

The constitution says a director should be there . Let me tell you something, late Chief Owoade was the Director of Finance and Admin in the party, if there is a desire now to have  more directors in line with position held by Chief Owoade, what is wrong with that? Don’t forget also, when we were in Alliance for Democracy (AD) Opeyemi Bamidele was our Director of Publicity in AD that time  even though, we have a National Publicity Secretary.

It was from there that Opeyemi Bamidele  becomes Commissioner for Information in Lagos state, go back to the UPN days, Chief Ebenezer Babatope was the Director of Organization for the UPN even though there was an Organising Secretary, and Chief Ajuluchukwu was the Director  of Publicity for the party. So having  directorate  in the party is not alien, it is in the constitution, in the AD  it was there, in the UPN it was there so if APC put it in the constitution it should be implemented.

Who are those eligible to be members of the said Directorate?

That depends on the leaders of the party but they have to be members of the party who are qualified in their various fields. For instance, if you want to be a director of finance in the party now you must be a qualified accounting officer and expert in financial matters, this is a modern party, we are not running NPN, we are running APC.

Aspirants are already claiming to have secured Ajimobi’s endorsement, as a political adviser to the governor, has the governor anointed any candidate?

Does it make sense for anybody  in May 2017 to be anointing somebody that will take over in May 2019? You know he is in position, he is the governor, if anybody is saying that  Ajimobi has endorsed anybody they are illiterates, those who says Ajimobi has thrown his weight behind anybody are political illiterates.  I say that with all sense of  responsibilities that they don’t know what they are saying.

Ajimobi has no anointed candidate, he has not  told me, I have not seen it in his body language, it’s a level  playing ground for everybody, many people will still join the race.
How would you react to the perceived crisis in your party as over 35 aspirants jostle for governorship ticket?

Very easy! There are pretenders to the throne. There are people who are coming out because they want to use it to negotiate, its all part of politicking and I want to say that in 2011 there are about 11 people who jostled for the same seat with Governor Ajimobi before he got it. So in 2019, somebody will get it, when we get to the bridge we shall cross it.

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Meanwhile, confusion rocks in Oyo state with so many candidates showing interest in the Agodi Government House assignment as no fewer than thirty five (35) gets set to succeed the present occupant, Abiola Ajimobi.

However, the introduction of a former commissioner for local government and chieftaincy matters and Senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Abdulfatai Buhari, ex- Finance Commissioner, Mr. Zacchaeus Adedeji Adelabu and another former commissioner in the ministry of Works and Transport, Alhaji Yunus Akintunde has changed the calculation and permutation of other aspirants eyeing the most exalted post in the state.

Abdulfatai Buhari is presently representing Oyo North Senatorial District and an experienced politician. The lawmaker, who hails from Ogbomoso South Local Government alongside  Mr Remi Odetomi, Mulikat Adeola Akande among other notable politicians was a former Federal House of Representatives member from 2003- 2007, and also served as Special Adviser to the governor on water resources before he was moved to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters as a commissioner during Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s first term. He is stylish, intelligent and strategic.

Also, Buhari is enjoying a worthwhile relationship with his erstwhile boss, Abiola Ajimobi. The Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Cybercrime stays focused on quality representation, and politics of the gatekeepers. He maintains a healthy relationship with the National Leader of his party – Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Similarly, Mr. Zacchaeus Adedeji Adelabu, a seasoned financial expert from Ogo Oluwa Local Government Area had served as a former commissioner for Finance under the incumbent governor, Abiola Ajimobi. In fact, he is a close associate of the governor and his philanthropic gesture seems to be opening doors for him.

The technocrat was among the strong ‘fat cats’ and political donors that supported Governor Abiola Ajimobi during the 2011 governorship contest.

Apart from being a city spender, he has brilliant ideas towards Oyo state development and has started his underground campaign.

In a related development, the ex-council chief of Oyo West Local Government, Alhaji Yunus Akintunde is another political Juggernaut and the only aspirant from Oyo zone who has expressed interest in the Agodi Government House job. The erstwhile commissioner for Works and Transport under governor Abiola Ajimobi is representing ‘Oyo Agenda’.

As an experienced politician, the former executive assistant to governor Ajimobi on political matters in his bid towards actualizing his dream of becoming the Governor, he has started consultation with a view to enjoying a wide grassroots appeal.

Though, there are no permanent friends or enemies in politics, but permanent interests, however, the cordial relationship between the ex – Commissioner and his boss, Governor Ajimobi is gradually shrinking over alleged rift.

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This is sequel to his claims that he coordinated the Oke-Ogun zone during the electioneering period.

Reacting to the development, in a chat with an online news tabloid, Dr Morohunkola Thomas said the minister is goofed in making such  assertion, stressing that Barrister Shittu lost in his own polling booth during the 2015 elections.

He also alleged that the minister canvassed openly for the candidate of Accord party (AP), just as he punctured his claims that he coordinated the Oke-Ogun zone during the electioneering periods, emphasising that he took the candidate of his party, the incumbent governor, Abiola Ajimobi to court challenging his nomination “.

Dr Thomas, who expressed his amazement at the development said, “what did he coordinate? Did he even win his polling booth? The APC did not even win in his polling booth,  he was not involved. This man canvassed openly for the candidate of Accord party (AP) in the last election, he did not only did that, he actually took the candidate of his party, that is the incumbent governor , Senator Isiak Abiola Ajimobi to court challenging his nomination, he was putting all kind of legal roadblocks on the way of the party from winning that election, if we had lost that election I am sure  Shittu would have decamp to Accord Party (AP) so what impunity is he talking about?”.

“This governor is restructuring the party, he is reforming and reinvigorating the party, when we  set up council of elders that were inaugurated, is that impunity, this is the involvement of credible and notable leaders across all the local governments coming together  to advise the government and move the party forward, it’s that impunity, is that not democratic, is that not the way to run the party,  is Barrister Shittu a financial member of this party, what contribution has he made to the party, what was his contribution to the election, what role did he play even in his local government, Saki West in the course of the election?”, he questioned.

Dr Thomas continued, ” we were on the road campaigning  for the governor and President Buhari, Barrister  shittu was not involved , I remember vividly that he surfaced at Mapo when the then General Buhari came for campaign after that he fizzled out again, so he has not  integrated himself into this party, he is not rooted in this party,  he doesn’t even know the affairs of this party, how can  he be describing the action of the governor and the elders as impunity, I think that is far from the truth”.

He, however counseled the Minister to count himself very lucky to have actually been appointed.

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