- Osoba’s Son: Remove My Name From List ...Says Unknown Persons After His Life, Family
By ‘Dotun Akintomide
The consensus mode of primary adopted by the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State in selecting its 40 candidates vying for various positions in next year’s general elections has polarized party members in the state, causing many to kick at the process which produced candidates without recourse to neither direct primaries as canvassed by the national body of the party nor the indirect primary mode backed by many APC governors.
On Monday, the crises over the consensus list took another turn in the state as the Commmisioner for Trades and Investment, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru resigned his appointment from the cabinet of Governor Ibikunle Amosun to pursue his governorship ambition on the platform of APC.
This was despite the governor’s presentation of Hon. Adekunle Akinlade as the party’s consensus candidate.
While Amosun’s candidate, Akinlade hails from Ogun West, a region of the state that has been clamoring to lay claim to the number one seat in the state, the former commissioner is from Ijebu-Ode in Ogun East senatorial district.
Until the current development, Ogun governorship position has always been rotated between the Egbas of Ogun Central and the Ijebus/Remos of Ogun East, something which had always schemed out the Yewas/Aworis of Ogun West, notwithstanding their discordance tune election after election.
The New Diplomat had on Sunday reported the official presentation of the 40 APC torch-bearers in the state, as well as the unveiling of Akinlade’s running mate, Mrs. Adepeju Adebajo, Commissioner for Agriculture serving in the incumbent administration of Governor Amosun.
Also, while condemning the process, Olumide Osoba, son of former governor Olusegun Osoba raises alarm of threat to his life in Ogun State. According to him, some unknown persons were threatening his life for rejecting the inclusion of his name in the consensus list of the APC.
Olumide Osoba had released a press statement, yesterday, objecting to the inclusion of his name on the list of consensus candidates drawn by Governor Amosun and APC leaders in Ogun State, which had his name as the House of Representatives candidate for Abeokuta South Federal Constituency.
In a rejection letter complaining that he was wrongly included, which he also sent to newsmen, Olumide wrote: “I Olumide Osoba, was privileged to be among the few chosen 360 out of the over 160 million Nigerians to represent my people in the Green chamber in 2011-2015 at the House of Representatives.
“I will forever be grateful to the people of Abeokuta North, Obafemi Owode and Odeda Federal Constituency for finding me worthy to be their Representative.
“Having said that I owe full allegiance to that Federal Constituency and at no time have I ever entertained the thought of abandoning them to seek election into the House of Representatives from another Constituency.
“I served them with all I had and I am till this day grateful for the bond we have. I registered and vote at Owode Ward 3, unit 006 Geleodun polling unit in Obafemi Owode Local Government and I have never participated in the politics of Abeokua South. It is therefore absurd and ridiculous to find my name on a list being peddled as a consensus list.
“I at no time participated in any consensus arrangement and neither was I contacted. I therefore wish to disassociate myself from the list.
“On the issue of primaries of our great party for aspirants seeking to become candidates in the general election of 2019, I totally abide by the ruling and communiqué of the NWC and I am ready and willing to submit myself to a direct primary in my Federal Constituency of Abeokuta North, Obafemi Owode and Odeda Federal Constituency.”
It came as a surprise that few minutes after issuing the earlier, Olumide issued another statement claiming that his life was in danger. He said unknown persons had called him over his rejection of the offer to serve in Abeokuta South Federal constituency and asked him to applaud the procedure that produced the list or face the consequences.
Insisting that he stood on his earlier position, Olumide said: “It is of great importance to bring this to the knowledge of members of our great party, APC, and the general public that since I released my press statement on the alleged “ consensus list” wherein my name was listed as one of the candidates of our party in the forthcoming general elections without my consent or consultation today 10th day of September, 2018, unknown persons have been threatening my life and that of my immediate family members in order for me to rescind the press statement and applaud the procedure that produced the list.
“Threat to my life or that of my family members is not the way out but obedience to lawful directive and policy of the Party.
“I, Olumide Babtunde Osoba, stand by my earlier press statement that I only support the Direct Primary ordered by the NWC of our party,” he said.
