Elders, leaders and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, from Ogun West Senatorial district, on Wednesday, converged in Ilaro to debunk the purported endorsement of Senator Olamilekan Adeola as the preferred candidate for the coveted Ogun West Senatorial seat.
Adeola, the Senator currently representing Lagos West at the red chambers in Abuja is getting set to contest the senatorial primaries of Ogun West APC, amidst stiff resistance.
It will be recalled that some leaders of the party in the zone had few weeks back endorsed YAYI as their preferred candidate for the ticket. The leader went ahead to purchase the expression of interest and nomination forms for the Lagos Senator.
But in a counter-reaction, a medley of other leaders and stakeholders from the zone have condemned the purported endorsement, describing it as “Illegal and unfortunate”. They denounced the band of leaders promoting YAYI is collaborators who are pursuing personal interest and not in any way speaking for the generality of Ogun West.
They described YAYI’s incursion into Ogun West as disruptive, divisive and compromising of political and traditional structures in the area.
In the communique released to the media at the end of the meeting, the leaders urged the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, to use their good offices to halt the blatant illegality.
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The communique fully reads:
COMMUNIQUE
GENUINE ELDERS, LEADERS AND STAKEHOLDERS OF OGUN WEST SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE
The Committee of Concerned Ogun West Patriots under the umbrella of “Ogun West Elders, Leaders and Stakeholders” in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other unaligned interest groups, today 18/05/2022, met in Ilaro, to discuss on the state of affairs in the Ogun West chapter of the party. After far-reaching deliberations, in the meeting themed Protecting the integrity of Ogun West, the following conclusions were arrived at:
1). That this meeting constitute individuals and diverse groups of concerned and patriotic Elders, Leaders and Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun West and other unaligned interest groups; who are committed to the growth of the party and success of the current administration.
2). That the meeting salutes, very firmly, the strides of HE Prince Dapo Abiodun, both in terms of his governance effort and leadership of the party. While in full support of his bid to consolidate on the current achievements of this administration, we urge more developmental inclusion for Ogun West in all ramifications.
3). Whereas, the party in Ogun State in whole has a semblance of order in its administration and processes, same cannot be said of the Ogun West chapter that have been enmeshed in controversies and acrimony; most especially on the administration of the party in the district and the selection process of its senatorial candidate particularly.
4). As patriotic Yewa-Awori indigenes, we are disturbed at the turn of events and as equal stakeholders of the APC in Ogun West, we have risen up to serve as the conscience of our people; in curtailing the desperate plot to force an Aberration down our throat, putting us in the news for wrong reasons and making us become subject of ridicule in Nigeria today.
5). It must be stated that the principles of participatory democracy supposes that electoral contests must adhere to the fundamental ethos of fairness, equity, justice; and as guaranteed by extant laws of the land. Failure to uphold these noble standards will suggest that we are in a lawless society where rules and morality have been dumped in the gutters.
6). Premising on item 5 above, 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 appalling order.
7). We are more saddened that the inordinate ambition of Senator Adeola received the support of a section of the party in Ogun West, who have been going around promoting him, organizing all manner of sponsored events and peddling of spurious claims; all in the name of being “Ogun West Leaders”.
8). We want to state emphatically that those who have done the endorsement of the purported aspirant, are private supporters of that individual and do not speak for the generality of the Elders, Leaders and Stakeholders of Ogun West APC; because at nowhere have this senatorial district sat down to unanimously support or endorse any of the legitimate aspirants vying for the senatorial ticket of the party.
9). 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. It is incontrovertible that eminent personalities like HE Engr Noimot Salako-Oyedele, Senator Ayo Otegbola, Senator Akin Odunsi, Senator Kola Bajomo, Senator Gbolahan Dada, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, Hon Jimoh Olaifa, Hon. Kola Lawal, Chief Biyi Otegbeye, Chief Mrs Mary Ogunjobi, Mr Tope Kuyebi, Hon Salmon Adeleke, Engr Ayo Olubori, Hon Juliana Akintayo and Hon Bankole – are notable names among several others, who are not part of the malicious plot to foist the Lagos Senator on Ogun West.
10). It is distasteful, the lies, manipulations and schemes being peddled by these leaders, all in the bid to legitimise the smuggled ineligible aspirant’ into Ogun West APC; thereby causing distortion, disruptions and compromise of the process. A clear example of such charade was when they said, Yewa Obas begged Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to release the Lagos Senator to Ogun State. It took the rebuttal by some bold Yewa Obas for us to know it was all gimmicks. In similar vein, they have used severally, the name of the Governor as a supporter of the gambit, to hoodwink people into joining the bandwagon of the attempt to import an illegality to Ogun West.
11). In another unfortunate development, they have used this inordinate agenda to not only compromise the integrity of the political party process in our senatorial district, they have dragged the traditional institutions and religious institution in Yewaland into ridicule by deploying various schemes to enlist them into the murky waters of dirty politics all in the name of promoting the Lagos Senator.
12). 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 any of the legitimate aspirants been endorsed 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. Therefore, group of persons that who has done so, are speaking for themselves and not for Ogun West.
13). Significantly, we call on the National Working Committee (NWC) of our party, under the leadership of HE Senator Abdullahi Adamu and also 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 primaries and that the tickets for various positions must not be allocated to moneybags and the highest bidders.4). Finally, we restate that this action is to protect the integrity of our senatorial district and preserve the legacies of our forebears who by now, will be turning in their graves at the attempted desecration of Yewa-Awori land. We like to also thank members of other political parties from Ogun West, who jettisoned party affiliations to identify with this good objective by sending in delegates and even made representations at the meeting. Like we indicated earlier, this is a battle to reclaim the party in the senatorial district from the hands of external political bandits and their local collaborators.
15). We specially thank most of the eminent leaders mentioned in paragraph 9, who sent in their personal goodwill and in some cases, their representatives to the meeting; and had indicated personal attendance but for engagements within and outside Ogun State at the time. Sincere appreciation however goes to Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, Chief Mrs Mary Ogunjobi, Hon Salmon Adeleke, Hon Juliana Akintayo, Elder Alabi Ojoare, Prince Jimoh Akinlade, Hon Bankole, Mr Tunji Akinlade, Hon Razak Oduntan, Hon Solomon Ajose, Hon Samuel Salako, five serving councillors and many others, for finding time to physically grace the meeting.
