The Chairman Congress Committee of Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC), Gambo Lawan has descended on a Chieftain of the party in the state, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), saying he is a serial liar and not qualified to query his integrity.
Gambo made the assertion while reacting to a statement credited to Akintola that the national secretariat of the party has no knowledge of his presence and appeal committee chairman in Ibadan on Friday.
Reacting to this on Saturday, Lawan said considering the antecedents of Akintola, his outburst on him and others was nothing but figment of his imagination, personal opinion and ploy to get undue recognition.
Lawan noted that Akintola is just a paperweight politician, who is seeking undue recognition and only feasible when election is coming, stressing that Akintola is only looking for relevance by tarnishing the image he has built for many years.
He maintained that if Akintola has any complain, he should go to party headquarters in Abuja rather that spew tissues of lies in Ibadan.
Explaining his presence in Ibadan on Friday, Lawan said sequel to Thursday, November 4, 2021 meeting of party leaders and stakeholders in Abuja presided over by the Secretary of Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Senator John Akpanudoedehe and a directive from the Chairman CECPC of the party, Mai Buni that he should be in attendance of all the reconciliation and harmonization meeting as observer both in Abuja and Ibadan.
Affirming that his coming to Ibadan on Friday November 12, 2021 to attend the reconciliation and harmonization meeting in Ibadan as an observer was precipitated on this, as well directive from one of the aides of the Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Mai Buni on Wednesday that the Chairman, Mai Buni has directed him to inform him (Gambo) to attend Ibadan meeting on Friday.
According to Lawan, “Before I came to Ibadan, there was a conference call between the Secretary of CECPC, former Oyo APC Chairman, Chief Akin Oke and former governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala where three of them agreed to meet at a venue chosen by Akala as the leader of the party in Oyo state.
“Based of the directive passed to me by aide of Mai Buni, I left Gombe to Bauchi and Bauchi to Abuja to take flight to Lagos, slept in Lagos on Thursday and on Friday morning, I left Lagos straight to Akala’s house, where they all agreed to meet for the reconciliation and harmonization meeting.
“But to my surprise, I didn’t meet Oke at the agreed venue, which is Akala’s house and I have to call him, he said he was coming until I got information that he was at party secretariat holding another meeting.
“According to party constitution the governor is leader of the party, where there is no governor, the former governor is the leader and that’s why instruction was given from Abuja, that Akala is the leader of the party in Oyo and that he should be the one to convey the meeting and they agreed.
“When I got to Akala’s house, I met up to 90% of stakeholders that we have been holding meetings with, and according to directive from Abuja, I attended the meeting as an observer and my report would be submitted to the CECPC in Abuja.
“To my surprise Niyi Akintola who was neither at Abuja meeting nor Ibadan meeting was lying to people that our presence in Ibadan was not knowing to party leadership.
“This is my 43 years experience in politics, Akintola has no moral right to question my integrity, let him go to party headquarters in Abuja to complain, who knows him, he is a paperweight and only feasible when election is coming.
“I want to bold to say that, we have came, we have saw, we have conquered and we have left”.
