APC faction in Oyo State tell Buhari and Tinubu not to consider Ajimobi for ministerial appointment

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has been asked by a faction of his All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State not to consider outgoing Governor Abiola Ajimobi for a ministerial appointment when the new government is formed on May 29.

Following last month's gubernatorial elections, Governor Ajimobi will stand down at the end of his second term on May 29. His desire to get elected to the senate as the senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District were dashed after he was beaten by Dr Kola Balogun of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In what was an overall disastrous campaign for Governor Ajimobi, not only did President Buhari lose the presidential elections in Oyo State but the APC also lost the gubernatorial polls to the PDP. Some members of the Oyo State chapter of the APC have blamed Governor Ajimobi for their losses and do not want him rewarded for failure.

One faction of the party within the state which calls itself the Reformers has written to  President Buhari and APC national leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, stating that giving Governor Ajimobi an appointment will not be in the interest of the party. In addition, the group also faulted the recent vote of confidence passed in the governor by the party stakeholders in the state.

This APC Reformers faction which is made up of former political appointees and leaders in Oyo State, described the vote of confidence as a continuation of self deception by a congress of charlatans that lead to the monumental failure of the party at the just concluded elections. After a recent meeting, it issued as statement signed by its acting secretary Sulemon Ramoni.

Their statement read: “After spending almost eight years in office, the people of Oyo State have passed a vote of no confidence in Ajimobi by ensuring that he lost his unit, ward, local government and the state in the last election. Of what benefit would the decision of his self-appointed leaders and handpicked executive be for the party, democracy and the good people of the state?

“Mr President and the national leadership of the party including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu should not be misled by the charlatans to consider Ajimobi for a ministerial or any federal appointment which is their motive. Any federal appointment for him will worsen the situation of the party in the state, make reconciliation impossible and lead to more loses in future elections.

“The party lost the presidential election in Oyo State because it held on the same day with Ajimobi’s senatorial election. The state elections were lost because of his influence and interference."

Mr Ramoni added that after the 2015 general election, Governor Ajimobi scolded the party chairman Chief Akin Oke for losing his unit and ward, as a matter of fact he advised him to resign. He pointed out that in addition, some local government caretaker chairmen were also removed by Governor Ajimobi for losing their constituencies.

According to Mr Ramoni, now that Governor Ajimobi has lost woefully, he deserves no reprieve. He advised the national leadership of the party to immediately dissolve the APC executive in the state and constitute a caretaker committee to rebuild the party.