Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC) Reformers, a stakeholder coalition of former political appointees across the 33 local governments including chairmen, commissioners, lawmakers and others, warned President Buhari not to consider former governor Abiola Ajimobi for ministerial appointment.
Ajimobi, according to the group, does not deserve a slot in the soon-to-be constituted cabinet.
In a statement jointly signed by its acting secretary, Mr. Sulaimon Ramon and Public Relations Officer, Engr Dipo Fawole, APC reformers said: “90 per cent of the members of this body were elected and political appointees under the former governor and they have knowledge of how retrogressive, deceitful, anti-people and self centred the former governor was.”
The group said the APC performed poorly in the last election in the state because the masses were mainly against the former governor, considering his policies mainly anti-people.
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“The voters who were aware of these qualities in him got fed up. Returning him to power in any other capacity will be setting the party and the Federal Government against the interest of the people of Oyo State,” the group added.
“It will have to be pointed out that the rejection of Senator Abiola Ajimobi by the people of Oyo State is evident by his loss at his attempt to return to the Senate during the 2019 general election as it is not that APC is not popularly accepted in the state.”
The group, however, commended the security initiative of the South-west governors and their request for the State Police.
While thanking the governors for the decision to ensure security of life and property in the South-west, the group also advised them to make a good use of Dr Kayode Fayemi’s position as the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum to enlist the support of other governors in making state police request a reality.
“The Nigerian federation is too large for a monolithic police. We need to copy the American system of policing that has federal, state, counties and cities law enforcement agencies.”
The group reiterated its support and confidence in Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s clout and judiciousness in spearheading a new college of democratic leadership in Oyo APC.
It warned efforts to rebuild Oyo APC would automatically fail immediately Ajimobi’s name is announced for any position.
