The African Democratic Congress (ADC), House of Assembly Candidate in Ibadan North I Constituency in the 2019 general election, Akogun Gafar Ojetola has countered the statement credited to Hon. Dikko Salami that he didn’t declare to join the All Progressive Congress (APC) with Senator Olufemi Lanlehin.
In a statement released by Ojetola, it was affirmed that all ADC Candidates for House of Assembly and other members of the party across the 33 local governments in Oyo State were part of the meeting and they all consented to the resolution of the meeting as against Dikko’s claim that Sen. Lanlehin just informed them all that they were to declare for APC on 17th September at Premier Hotel.
According to him, “This is far from the truth my brother and this your conscience, if you have one, will be hurting you. In your response sir, you emphasized that oga knows you as a man of little or no words and that you support the motion on ground and renew your pledge to support Sen. Lanlehin on the move to APC”.
The statement reads thus:
Dear Hon. Dikko Salami,
One would have chosen not to reply your published reasons guiding your decision to remain aloof from party politicking but some misrepresentation could be confusing to the discerning public and reason for this humble statement.
- Must you blame Sen. Lanlehin for the failure of Seyi Makinde in honouring the terms of agreement for the coalition? How would you have reacted had Sen. Lanlehin be half-greedy like others to put forward his son for political appointment as requested of him?Methinks Sen. Lanlehin must be thus commended for his fairness and sincerity to us all.
- At the Adabeji meeting of 14th September, 2020 as referenced in your submission, you also alleged that our principal “just informed all of us that we were going to join and declare for APC on 17th September at Premier Hotel”. This is far from the truth my brother and this your conscience, if you have one, will be hurting you.
The correct report of that meeting process, to refresh your memory and correct your heinous, blatant representation was that immediately Sen. Lanlehin briefed us of the series of meetings till date , including that of Abuja, following the pressure from his teeming loyalists to leave the deceitful and empty promises made by the beneficiary of the coalition election, Sen. Lanlehin in his democratic approach to issues generally called for response from the members present.
People from various local governments spoke one after the other commending the efforts of our principal as well as moving motions to depart the crumbling and collapsed ADC building into the APC without further delay. Sen. Lanlehin then called for one member from each of the 33 local governments present to support the motion earlier moved and these was duly observed.
Because of the recognised and privileged seating arrangements that placed us, the remaining five state honourable candidates on the front row, we were called one before the other to air our views. Starting from the far left where I was seated, then Hon. Kunle Adeyemi (NE) who had just left for reasons best known to him, then Hon. Abib Idowu Balogun and Hon. Tolani Adigun both of SW then yourself, Hon. Dikko Salami from Oluyole.
In your response Sir, you emphasized that Oga knows you as a man of little or no words and that you support the motion on ground and renew your pledge to support Sen. Lanlehin on the move to APC. After you was seated the only ranking honourable from Egbeda, Lasun Oguntade who also spoke in support of the motion.
3. We later requested to have a private meeting with Oga and he led us to his sitting room for the meeting where we presented a 3-point requests from him. While commending our efforts, loyalty and commitment since inception, Oga freely assured and consented to each of the 3-point requests without any hesitation. We thanked him and took our leaves, thinking we are all satisfied and fulfilled.
4. Recognizing the fact that it is your human and constitutional right for freedom of association and your God given right to freely decide for yourself, it is also important to note that you owe nobody any explanation for any decisions you choose to adopt on your political exploit however, it is decent, honourable and Godly to refrain from unnecessary fabrications aimed at dressing credence on your stand point.
May I sincerely wish that Almighty Allah will guide you and us all right in our individual decisions.
Take good care and Jummah mubarak.
Akogun Gaphar Ojetola
