…He will give quality representation—Akintola
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Ahead of 2019 general elections, Oyo state governor, Ishaq Abiola
Ajimobi will seek the senatorial ticket of the All Progressives
Congress, (APC) to represent Oyo South senatorial district.
The official launching of his senatorial ambition was unveiled at the
weekend in Ido local government in the State. His Commissioner for
Education, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela is also seeking the party House
of Representatives ticket to represent Ido/ Ibarapa East Federal
Constituency.
The incumbent governor represented Oyo South senatorial district
between 2003—2007 under the platform of the defunct Alliance for
Democracy, (AD). He was the candidate of the defunct All Nigerian
Peoples Party, (ANPP) for the 2007 governorship election in the State.
Speaking at the elaborate event held at the residence of a leader of
the party, Alhaji Kamorudeen Ajisafe, Executive Assistant to Governor
Ajimobi on Political Matters, Dr Morounkola Thomas said his principal
was being encouraged to return to the Senate in 2019 by the party
stakeholders within and outside the state. He further declared that
the State was desirous of quality representation which he believed
Governor Ajimobi will give.
He said:’’ It is those outside the state that are encouraging him to
run. He has been there before and we need experienced people to give
us quality representation.
‘’We need people we can trust, not people who will betray Oyo State
and South west interest for messy pot of porridge. We know those who
betrayed us for mere Senate Committee position. Senate Fatai Buhari
has not disappointed us, but we cannot vouch for some people in the
National Assembly.’’
Dr Thomas also dismissed insinuation that the party could run into
crisis after its governorship primary, considering the number of
aspirants seeking its ticket. He assured the gathering of the party
faithful that Governor Ajimobi, the leader of the party has the
capacity to manage it.
‘’I can assure you that there won’t be crisis, after Oyo state
governorship primary. At the appropriate time, we shall separate the
men from the boys. The governor is the leader of the party and he is
in total control. We know how we run this party and we have our foot
soldiers.
‘’Nobody has the credentials, personality and pedigree of governor
Ajimobi. We shall use his name to deliver.
In his remarks, a leading governorship aspirant, Chief Adeniyi
Akintola, (SAN) advised aspirants seeking elective offices under the
party platform to be patient and willing to pay their dues in
politics.
He said:‘’In the camp of progressives, you have to pay your dues and
pass through political tutelage. In 2010, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu at
an event here in this local government with Senator Ajimobi and other
leaders of Action Congress seated advised me to show interest in the
governorship race.
‘’I politely turned it down. I knew it wasn’t my turn. Governor
Ajimobi wasn’t governor then but I know I should not jump the gun.
’’ Our governor has also paid his dues under the late Lam Adesina.
Nobody can dispute that he was a Lamist.
‘’Ido local government is launching the campaign to endorse him to
go to Senate and by the grace of God, he shall make it. ‘’Of course,
this isn’t his first time. In his first time, he wasn’t a bench warmer
there as he gave quality representation. In the Senate, he will be a
pride to Oyo state and the south-west.’’
Akintola further attributed the growing number of contenders for the
APC governorship ticket to the peaceful environment nurtured for
politics and economic development to thrive by the Oyo state governor.
‘’There is no state that parades array of aspirants for governorship
ticket like Oyo state. What is responsible for this? ‘’It is because
there is peace, Governor Ajimobi has created a conducive atmosphere.
If it were in those dark days, a lot of us wouldn’t come out to say we
want to run. Even those who cannot win their unit are aspiring to be
governor. The more, the merrier. So, let us cooperate with the
government to succeed and we also pray for him to get their.
‘’Ajimobi is a gold, we cannot afford to go replace him with a silver.
If we cannot get platinum to replace him, we must retain the gold. I
believe, I am the gold, if not the platinum to succeed him. We cannot
afford to replace him with silver. We cannot afford to go back to the
days of the locust when life was nasty, short and brutish.
‘’It is because our memory was short; there was day in this State when
medical students fell victim to bullets of rampaging motor park touts
here in Ibadan. I went on voluntary exile and I couldn’t return to
Ibadan, until 2011 when Ajimobi became governor. So, we thank him for
restoring peace to the state.’’
Chief host at the event, Alhaji Kamorudeen Ajisafe appealed to the
party faithful to continue to be steadfast in their commitment to the
party and its leaders.
