Saki-born communications minister, Barr. Adebayo Shittu, has denied report that he has ordered his supporters not to vote for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in next week’s governorship election in Oyo State.
This is just as Shittu, who was barred from contesting the APC governorship primaries last year, said he never granted any interview or mocked Governor Abiola over his last week’s defeat to Dr Kola Balogun of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Shittu, in a press statement last night by his media office, said he has not spoken to the press in recent times and neither has he directed anyone to do so on his behalf.
He described the report as untrue, ill-motivated and a calculated attempt to smear his integrity by some political jobbers.
He, however, urged the general public to disregard the purported interview and statement therein as he reiterated his total commitment to the party.
The statement reads: ”Our attention has been drawn to a report by some ill-motivated individuals that the Honourable minister of communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, mocked Governor Abiola Ajimobi and directed his followers to vote opposition.
“For the record, let me make it unequivocally clear that the Honourable minister did not grant any interview or speak to any journalist directly or by proxy, mocking the governor or the party, neither did he direct anyone to do so on his behalf.
”Before the election, he ordered all his supporters across the state to support and cast their votes for his party at all levels of the elections which in turn resulted in victory for All Progressive Congress at all levels of the election in his unit, ward and senatorial district.
“It is no longer news that I delivered my polling unit, ward and local government to the APC. If I had wanted to work against the interest of the party, I would not have gone out of my way to convince my people to vote massively for the APC in last Saturday’s election which they did. I am not in the habit of mocking people in their low moments even if we were sworn enemies.
”I want to appeal to the public to disregard the purported interview and statement therein which did not emanate from the minister.”
The minister pointed out that considering his position in the present administration, he would not do anything that would undermine his party’s integrity.
He, therefore, called on sponsors of the malicious report to desist from their mischievous agenda as it is now common knowledge that they are only trying to discredit him with the president to further their own selfish interests.
