Some stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State, on Wednesday, kicked against alleged plans to hand over the party’s Ogun West senatorial ticket for next election to a “foreigner.”
Apparently reacting to the recent endorsement of the senatorial ambition of the Lagos West Senator, Olamilekan Adeola, populalry known as Yayi, by some politicians in the region, the leaders insisted that the senatorial seat “is not for sale.”
They also insisted that Yayi “is not an indigene of the state.”
The meeting tagged, “Preserving the Integrity of Ogun West Senatorial District,” attracted former commissioners, local government chairmen and members of the state House of Assembly from the region.
The APC leaders, in their separate remarks, described Adeola’s ambition as an aberration and illegal.
They also ruled out alleged endorsement of Senator Adeola as the flagbearer of the APC by some leaders of Ogun West, insisting that such position didn’t represent the collective interest of the region.
A former Chairman of Yewa South Local Government, Jimoh Akinlade, called on the leadership of the party to address the concern before it “leads to an embarrassment for the party.”
Akinlade said, “They should try to review what is going on in Ogun West Senatorial District, if they fail to do this, there is a doom ahead somehow. We love the party, we love what the governor is doing, we don’t want any embarrassment for the governor, hence, they do the right thing.”
In a communique issued after the meeting, the elders resolved that leaders and party stakeholders in the region have neither endorsed nor ceded the APC senatorial ticket to Senator Adeola.
“We condemn in totality the attempt by the serving Senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District, Olamilekan Solomon Adeola, known as Yayi, to jump ship and seek the mandate of Ogun West Senatorial district while still holding on the one he currently occupies; a blatant illegality of the most despicable order.
“We must reiterate that Ogun West is arrayed with patriotic and morally upright leaders who will not betray their fatherland by supporting illegality and assault on the land.
“Distinguished Senator Ayo Otegbola, Senator Akin Odunsi, Senator Kola Bajomo, Senator Gbolahan Dada, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, Jimoh Olaifa, Kola Lawal, Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, Hon Biodun Akinlade, Chief Biyi Otegbeye, Hon Salmon Adeleke and Chief Mrs Mary Ogunjobi and Mr Tope Kuyebi are notable names among several others, who are not part of the evil plot to foist the Lagos Senator on Ogun West.
“We, therefore, use this medium to reinforce the indisputable fact that the genuine elders, leaders and stakeholders of Ogun West APC are not in support of the illegal move, and neither have we endorsed anyone for the Senate seat of our senatorial district, talk more of Senator Olamilekan Adeola — who by clear provisions of the constitution and the electoral act is not qualified to contest elections in Ogun State; and anyone or group that has done so, is speaking for themselves and not for Ogun West.
“Finally, we call on the National Working Committee (NWC) of our party, under the leadership of HE Senator Abdullahi Adamu and HE Prince Dapo Abiodun to intervene and halt the illegality being perpetrated in Ogun State. We like to also urge them to use their good offices to implement the admonition of the leader of our party, President Muhammadu Buhari, who said that the processes of the party and the tickets of offices must not be allocated to moneybags and the highest bidder.”
In his reaction, Adeola’s media aide, Kayode Odunaro, faulted the allegation that the senator is a foreigner.
Odunaro described the stakeholders who opposed Yayi’s senatorial ambition as undemocratic.
He queried why they were afraid of contesting against his boss, saying the senator had not been endorsed.
He said, “The people who said Senator Olamilekan Solomon Adeola is a foreigner are people who don’t want democracy to thrive. They are people who want to play politics of exclusion.
“Why are they afraid? Yayi is more of a homeboy than all of them. We are in democracy, there is no law that says Senator Olamilekan Solomon Adeola cannot contest.
“They can go to court. They are very undemocratic. Yayi is a son of the land. Just last Saturday, the Olu of Ilaro and paramount ruler of Yewaland and 49 Obas installed him as Aremo Oba.
“Calling Yayi a foreigner, I don’t know their definition of foreigner. If that is the case, all of them are foreigners. They should not be afraid of contesting against Yayi.”
Culled from PUNCH
