2019: Face Oyo politics, don’t interfere in Ogun, Akinlade Abiodun Isiaq cautions Abiola Ajimobi
Ogun state governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Abiodun Akinlade, has warned the Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, against meddling in the political affairs of Ogun State ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Akinlade who was reacting to the recent video footage where the Oyo governor was seen endorsing a lawmaker as the next governor of Ogun state in 2019 urged Ajimobi to face governance in his state and leave the people of the Gateway State to determine who to lead them.
Ajimobi had over the weekend during the 50th birthday celebration of Chief (Mrs.) Zhikrah Aduke Akanbi, wife of Senator Rilwan Adesoji Akanbi at Ibadan, picked out the lawmaker who was also present at the ceremony, as the next governor of Ogun State.
The Oyo governor said, “By the special grace of God you are the next governor of Ogun State. I know that some people will be angry with what I said in Ogun State but people know that I speak my mind; take it or leave it.”
Differing on the governor’s statement, the three-term House of Representatives member, said, “In as much as the governor is entitled to his opinion, the statement made by him at a function in Ibadan is not needful and demeaning to our state.”
Akinlade, who is a front-runner for the governorship slot from Ogun West Senatorial district on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC), noted that some spent political forces in neighbouring states have begun to play to the gallery by endorsing certain candidates who are not even card carrying members of any political party in the state.
According to him, “The people of Ogun West know those who have been at the epicenter of the struggle for the marginalized region to produce the governor of the state and it would only be reasonable for them to be allowed to sort themselves out now that there seems to be a consensus that the Ogun West Senatorial District would be allowed to produce the next governor of the state. It is only reasonable that the people be allowed to slug it out amongst themselves without harmful endorsements of those who are not even card carrying members of any political party in the state.”
“Instead of facing the responsibilities of governing Oyo State which he was elected to do, he has started dabbling into matters which have no direct bearing with him. Oyo people are better off without a loquacious Governor who clearly appears to be less busy.
“He should be reminded that Ogun State, an entity created by the constitution same as Oyo, has credible people running its affairs as well as those that will take over from the present leaders and doesn’t need a governor of another state to choose for it.
“The electorate and the good people of Ogun State haven’t surrendered their constitutional right of choosing their leader to an indigene of another state regardless of the person’s position.”
While commending the statesmanship of the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Akinlade said the sense of neutrality of the state governor on who succeeds him, is worth of emulation by the likes of Ajimobi and other governors.
