Adebayo Shittu nearly pulls out of Oyo governorship race saying he cannot afford N22m nomination fee

COMMUNICATIONS minister Barrister Adebayo Shittu was on the verge of pulling out of the Oyo State governorship race saying he could not afford the N22.5m ($62,000) his All Progressives Congress (APC) is charging candidates for nomination forms.

Barrister Shittu, 65, had been one of the leading candidates in the race for Government House and was poised to participate in the APC's primary elections next week. However, he nearly became the first high profile victims to the exorbitant fees the APC is charging its aspirants, that have put nomination forms beyond the reach of average party members.

Already involved in a battle regarding him not participating in the compulsory National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) after graduating from university, Barrister Shittu has also been engaged in a long-running battle with Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State. Apparently, Governor Ajimobi does not support his candidacy, putting the two men at loggerheads over who controls the APC in Oyo State.

Speaking in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital yesterday, Barrister Shittu said there was no way he could afford to pay the gubernatorial nomination and expression of interest forms. He added that was a poor man and there was no way he could pay such a huge money but at the last minute, some of his supporters waded in to purchase the form on his behalf.

Last week, Barrister Shittu purchased the forms through two of his aides Saheed Oladele, and Malik Aderogba. He added that it was people who believed in him that bought the forms as they were beyond his reach.

Barrister Shittu said: “It is inconceivable that I can have such money to buy the nomination form and those very close to me knew that I cannot on my own put down N22.5m. As a minister under President Muhammadu Buhari, there was no way I could pay such money.

"This is not a PDP government and you can't have money as I earn less than a million naira a month and there are people who depend on me for survival. It was those who believe that the best thing to happen to Oyo State is for Adebayo Shittu to become governor that paid for the form and I thank God for the opportunities I have had in life and the greatest being the minister.”

Speaking on the next Saturday’s gubernatorial primary elections in the state, Barrister Shittu declared that all registered members of the APC in the state would vote. He insisted on the direct primary option and appealed to all the party members to prepare head on for it on Saturday.

On his NYSC saga, he added: “I never pretended I did service. For me, serving in the Oyo State House of Assembly at the time was on a higher service to my fatherland and the matter was taken to the court and it was thrown out. Late Chief Bola Ige was my counsel then.”