•Aspirants fail to agree •Gov serves appointees with political ambition resignation notice
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State yesterday turned down pressure from some quarters to anoint his possible successor from the 26 aspirants seeking the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Instead, Ajimobi asked the aspirants to work out modalities for picking one of them as a consensus candidate.
He also told them at a meeting in Ibadan to get ready for direct or indirect primaries should they fail to reach an agreement on consensus.
Missing from the meeting was Communications Minister Adebayo Shittu who, sources said, was out of the country.
Shittu does not see eye to eye with Ajimobi, particularly on the issue of picking APC’s governorship candidate in the state.
But other party leaders from all parts of the state were in attendance.
They included the state APC chairman, Chief Akin Oke. Others in attendance were aspirants for the senatorial and House of Representatives seats across the state.
An aide of the Minister said: “I don’t think he was invited, he was not invited.
“If he was invited, he would have come, though, he is not around now. He is not in the country.
“He is not there because he was not invited to the meeting. He felt it would be impolite to attend when there was no invitation to attend.”
The party chair did not buy the Shittu aide’s claim.
He asked the 26 governorship aspirants how they got to know of the meeting.
The meeting lasted about six hours during which the governorship aspirants could not agree on who to pick as consensus candidate.
Sources quoted Ajimobi as saying he did not want anyone to accuse him of imposing a governorship candidate on the party.
The aspirants expressed satisfaction at the governor’s position and decided to meet afresh today on the issue and report back to the governor.
In the event that they still cannot pick a consensus candidate, the party will then organize indirect primaries where delegates will decide who flies the APC ticket.
At yesterday’s meeting, Ajimobi directed all political appointees seeking elective positions next year to resign with immediate effect.
Governorship aspirants at yesterday’s meeting were former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), Mr. Joseph Tegbe, former CBN deputy governor, Bayo Adelabu, Secretary to the State Government, Olalekan Alli, Prof Soji Adejumo and a National Commissioner in the Nigerian Communications Commission, Mr. Sunday Dare.
Others were Dr Olusola Ayandele, Mr. Kehinde Olaosebikan, former Nigerian Bar Association Chairman in Oyo State, Mr. Akeem Agbaje, Constain West African PLC boss, Mr. Ayo Karim, Prince Asatola Asanike, Mr Isaac Omodewu, Senator Fatai Buhari, Dr Azeez Adeduntan and Dr. Morounkola Thomas among others.
Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, Ajimobi described the meeting as a family gathering.
He likened the meeting to a military ‘show of force’ to let the people of the state know that the APC has an array of quality aspirants.
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State yesterday turned down pressure from some quarters to anoint his possible successor from the 26 aspirants seeking the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
He also told them at a meeting in Ibadan to get ready for direct or indirect primaries should they fail to reach an agreement on consensus.
Missing from the meeting was Communications Minister Adebayo Shittu who, sources said, was out of the country.
Shittu does not see eye to eye with Ajimobi, particularly on the issue of picking APC’s governorship candidate in the state.
But other party leaders from all parts of the state were in attendance.
They included the state APC chairman, Chief Akin Oke. Others in attendance were aspirants for the senatorial and House of Representatives seats across the state.
An aide of the Minister said: “I don’t think he was invited, he was not invited.
“If he was invited, he would have come, though, he is not around now. He is not in the country.
“He is not there because he was not invited to the meeting. He felt it would be impolite to attend when there was no invitation to attend.”
He asked the 26 governorship aspirants how they got to know of the meeting.
The meeting lasted about six hours during which the governorship aspirants could not agree on who to pick as consensus candidate.
Sources quoted Ajimobi as saying he did not want anyone to accuse him of imposing a governorship candidate on the party.
The aspirants expressed satisfaction at the governor’s position and decided to meet afresh today on the issue and report back to the governor.
In the event that they still cannot pick a consensus candidate, the party will then organize indirect primaries where delegates will decide who flies the APC ticket.
At yesterday’s meeting, Ajimobi directed all political appointees seeking elective positions next year to resign with immediate effect.
Governorship aspirants at yesterday’s meeting were former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), Mr. Joseph Tegbe, former CBN deputy governor, Bayo Adelabu, Secretary to the State Government, Olalekan Alli, Prof Soji Adejumo and a National Commissioner in the Nigerian Communications Commission, Mr. Sunday Dare.
Others were Dr Olusola Ayandele, Mr. Kehinde Olaosebikan, former Nigerian Bar Association Chairman in Oyo State, Mr. Akeem Agbaje, Constain West African PLC boss, Mr. Ayo Karim, Prince Asatola Asanike, Mr Isaac Omodewu, Senator Fatai Buhari, Dr Azeez Adeduntan and Dr. Morounkola Thomas among others.
Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, Ajimobi described the meeting as a family gathering.
He likened the meeting to a military ‘show of force’ to let the people of the state know that the APC has an array of quality aspirants.
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