By Adams Akorede
The Southwest coordinator for the newly elected lawmakers to the House of Representatives in the All Progressives Congress, Hon. Musiliudeen Olaide Akinremi has warned against divisive tendencies that may jeopardise the chances of the zone from clinching the speakership of the ninth National Assembly.
Akinremi in a chat with journalists on Tuesday in Ibadan, said the meeting the lawmakers-elect under the platform of the APC held last Sunday, with the Governor of Oyo state and party leader, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, was basically on the need to reposition the party ahead of the 2023 elections.
Speaking against the backdrop of a statement credited to some APC youths in the state, blaming the governor for directing them (lawmakers) to support the aspiration of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Akinremi said governor did not ask anyone to support any aspirant but merely harped on the need for all of them to be loyal and abide by the party’s decision.
According to him, “Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila is one of us from this zone and indeed our brother. But the issue discussed last Sunday at the Oluyole residence of Governor Abiola Ajimobi was principally on how to unite the party members and rally them ahead of 2023 election. He spoke extensively on party’s supremacy and the need for all of us to be loyal to the party’s cause.
”Our leader said it is a sin for anyone of us to go against the party’s decision. And we all agreed with him. You recall, 10 days ago, I hosted a meeting of the newly elected lawmakers from across six states of Southwest, here in Ibadan and we all agreed to toe the path of honour by abiding with the party’s decision. The purpose of the meeting was to galvanise ourselves for a common agenda.
“I will continue to put my strength and resources in all that will make our party, APC greater not only in Ibadan, Oyo state but across Southwest states. Our national coordinator, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo from Ekiti shares my sentiment and he came all the way from his state like others. We all prayed that our zone should be given the position of speakership and that has not changed. But we need to caution ourselves and not allow the opportunity to slip us by,” Akinremi remarked.
He also admonished the concerned youths to await the party’s decision on the matter, saying the APC leadership would arrive at a decision that would be beneficial to the state and the Yorubaland in general.
Also the APC deputy National Youth Leader, Afeez Bolaji Repete in a telephone chat on Tuesday, disagreed with a lawmaker from Oyo federal constituency, Akeem Adeyemi over his statement on Monday that Ajimobi had adopted Gbajabiamila.
Repete said Adeyemi must have quoted the governor out of context because “his excellency, senator Abiola Ajimobi as the leader and father of the party in the state always put the interest of the state first in whatever he does.
“In as much that the national leadership of the party is yet to zone the position of the speakership to the south western zone of the country, we are very optimistic that if eventually it is zoned to the southwest, Oyo State will never be pushed aside as we have two qualified persons vying for the position of speakership from the state.
“Nothing is wrong if Hon. Akeem adeyemi is declaring for Hon. Gbajabiamila, he has the constitutional power to do so but he has no power to speak and address the press on behalf of our leader.
“As we await the official declaration from the governor as regards the issue of speakership, I urge all our honourable- elect to stand and defend Oyo agenda,” Repete counselled.
