Senior advocate and governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2019 election, Chief Niyi Akintola has disclosed that he made unnecessary enemies because of former governor Abiola Ajimobi.
He spoke on a 32 FM radio programme monitored by OYOINSIGHT.COM.
This newspaper recalls that Akintola and Ajimobi had fallen apart owing to the crisis that occurred during the October 1, 2018 governorship primaries of the APC.
Akintola, OYOINSIGHT.COM understands, represented the party against the Unity Forum, a factional group within the party, in many court cases. The crisis within the APC had become pronounced in May 2018 during the congress of the party. Majority of the Unity Forum would later defect from the party.
Saying that he regretted working with Ajimobi, he disclosed that Unity Forum had genuine case against the APC.
“If you recall on the day of the primaries, almost everybody that matters was in my office. It was only High Chief Rashidi Ladoja that was not here. These are people that we have done things together in the past. And Chief Ladoja’s absence was because of nothing but my affiliation with Ajimobi.
“I remember Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun seeing me in court and not greeting me. This is someone that was close to me. He even called to mock me after the primaries.
Wasiu saw me in court and didn’t greet me. Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle and Sen. Adesoji Akanbi also called me later. I even did a case against Sen. Akanbi.”
He insisted that APC lost the 2019 election because it took the people for granted.
“We have our faults in Oyo APC. We took for granted the voters. If you impose somebody the electorate doesn’t like, you fail,” he said, adding that “ Sen. Ajimobi is my elder brother. We are both from Ibadan. But as Oyos, we don’t tolerate those with domineering tendency. We don’t want people to control us.
“There are gatekeepers in Oyo politics. If you cross the bridge of the gatekeepers, you are gone. We take our traditional institutions with utmost regard. The Alaafin, Olubadan, Soun are institutions. If you cross their lines, you are gone politically.
“Sen. Ajimobi told me to my face that because I assisted him doesn’t mean he should reciprocate it,” adding that if he would ever do anything political with him, “There must be repentance before forgeiveness. We have met, even inside plane, we don’t greet. Some elders have come to beg on his behalf. He is my Egbon, not my political leader. We would both be invited to events in Ibadan.”
He denied speculations that he worked against Ajimobi and APC. “I still maintain that Sen. Ajimobi was the best for Oyo South. Apart from campaigning for him, I financed the Assembly candidate for Ido federal constituency. I directed my supporters to vote for Sen. Ajimobi in Ido and you will see that it was only in my local government that we won.
“I bought 22.5m nomination form. Some Ibadan people donated the people. We took the people for granted. I remember Primate Ola Makinde calling me to commend me for the Independence Day lecturer delivered. You know I am blunt. I told the truth that day. It is not a sin to make a mistake. It is a sin not to be remorseful.”
He said he would not blame APC governorship candidate in the 2019 election, Oloye Bayo Adelabu, for the party’s loss.
“Blaming Adelabu is like leaving the driver and attacking the conductor. During the election, Elegushi and Oluwo came here and brokered peace. They asked Adelabu to call me. Except if he will do so tomorrow.
“Many things went wrong within our party. A serving House of Representatives’ member told me he bought his ticket for N400m. We were about to board a plane when he said it. Imagine that,” he added.
