By NND
Following recommendation of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro to contest for Senate in Lagos West Senatorial District by the National Leader of the APC Senator Bola Tinubu and recognition of Gov Ibikunle Amosun by President Buhari as the South West Trusted leader for selection of 2019 contestants, Senator Olamilekan Adeola (popularly known as YAYI) has allegedly reach out to Gov Akinwumi Ambode to support his 2019 Senate ambition in Lagos.
In November 2017, Gov Amosun had vowed for the second time that he would not hand over to a stranger in 2019.The statement was made to clear the air over his preferred candidate from Ogun West which he promised to produce a governor since the senatorial district has yet to produce a governor since the creation of Ogun State.
Governor Amosun allegedly referring to Senator Adeola lamented that it would be an insult for the forebears of Ogun State is a stranger should succeed him when there are tire sons and daughters of the soil in abundance.
Senator Olamilekan had insisted that without the support of Gov Amosun, he will be victorious. According to him, “ It is my strong conviction that God and the good people of the state would crown me a governor and not a single individual”.
However, a source close to the State Secretariat of APC in Abeokuta revealed that Senator Adeola has allegedly indirectly withdrawn from the 2019 guber race following feelers that President Muhammadu Buhari will not support any candidate not recommended by Gov Amosun. It was gathered that Pres Buhari is empowering Gov Amosun and therefore expecting input of Amosun in the selection of candidates during the APC primary election.
The source said that the difficulties faced in Ogun made Senator Adeola to commence implementation of Plan B which is to seek re-election as the Senator representing Lagos West. This Senatorial ticket according to the source has been allocated to Sen Obanikoro, hence the reason for the cultivation of friendship with Sen Adeola.
The details of plan B according to him made Sen Adeola to engage Gov Ambode as a friend to convince Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu about his re-election into the Senate. Hence,the
Development of very close relationship with Ambode by Senator Adeola to convince Sen Tinubu for the rejection of Sen Musiliu Obanikoro.
An official of Ogun State Information was excited about the relocation of Sen Adeola to Lagos. “ Sen Adeola has no choice but to bow down to the supremacy of ao
In response , sources close to Sen Adeola said:
“ There is no truth is the story that Senator Adeola is begging for senatorial ticket. There are many conspirators against the rising political profile of Senator Adeola in both Ogun and Lagos state. To say that these forces are intimidated by the man call Yayi in the political calculations of 2019 is to say an obvious truth. Only a forthnight ago, his political enemies printed and posted his posters across some parts of Ogun State purporting his commencement of political campaign for Ogun State Governor in 2019. This was a ploy to allege that he has breached the electoral law and thereby disqualified him from the race. But Senator Adeola quickly dissociated himself from the illegal act and has since written to INEC officially on the plot:
The source said:
“!,…..desire. It is also the right of any other legally qualified person to indicate interest in the position and for internal democracy to come to play to determine who flies the flag of APC in Lagos West Senatorial District come 2019. This was how Yayi came in in 2014 when he contested a primary against about 5 candidates and came out to with over 4500 votes against his closest rival’s about 500 votes. This time around there are already about 4 contestants and as a tested democrats Yayi will go through party primaries with other contestants if he decides to re-contest for the position he is presently occupying. So it is like jumping the gun to say he went to beg Governor Ambode to beg Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for a ticket that he is qualified to contest for. Nothing like that happens as Governor Ambode and Asiwaju Tinubu are tested democrats who believes in internal democracy and will let the people decide just as they decided when over 80% of party delegates voted for Yayi to fly the flag of APC in 2014.
The source said that the related Ogun State angle to this Lagos West Senatorial district ticket is the issue of Ogun 2019. “It is an open secret that Senator Adeola has been making consultations on the possibility of running for governor in Ogun State in 2019 with favourable responses from key stake holder of APC and the people of Ogun State. However, he noted that Sen Adeola has not declared an intention to contest as his consultation is still on going. “There are insinuations that the incumbent governor is against Yayi consultations for Ogun 2019 but that is speculative as the governor himself became governor through a process that is well known. APC is a party that believes in internal democracy as can be seen in the recent unfolding triumph against tenure elongation for its party executives championed by no less a person than President Mohammadu Buhari. Governor Ibikunle Amosun is a democrat and would certainly allow the wish of the people to triumph even in Ogun 2019. Many are sure that the President who is the leader of APC will not allow personal relationship undermine the party’s internal democracy and possibly cost the party electoral loss in Ogun state. So the President and Governor Amosun will support the popular candidate that emerges through the process of free and fair primaries. All other indications at this point are merely speculative as politics of 2019 unfolds. It is however regrettable that some forces will be intimidated to the extent of wanting to exclude a democrat like Yayi who has won 4 consecutive elections from the 2019 race”
“ There is no truth is the story that Senator Adeola is begging for senatorial ticket. There are many conspirators against the rising political profile of Senator Adeola in both Ogun and Lagos state. To say that these forces are intimidated by the man call Yayi in the political calculations of 2019 is to say an obvious truth. Only a forthnight ago, his political enemies printed and posted his posters across some parts of Ogun State purporting his commencement of political campaign for Ogun State Governor in 2019. This was a ploy to allege that he has breached the electoral law and thereby disqualified him from the race. But Senator Adeola quickly dissociated himself from the illegal act and has since written to INEC officially on the plot.
It is well known that Senator Adeola is still the sitting senator of Lagos West and have every right to re-contest for the position if he so desire. It is also the right of any other legally qualified person to indicate interest in the position and for internal democracy to come to play to determine who flies the flag of APC in Lagos West Senatorial District come 2019. This was how Yayi came in in 2014 when he contested a primary against about 5 candidates and came out to with over 4500 votes against his closest rival’s about 500 votes. This time around there are already about 4 contestants and as a tested democrats Yayi will go through party primaries with other contestants if he decides to re-contest for the position he is presently occupying. So it is like jumping the gun to say he went to beg Governor Ambode to beg Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for a ticket that he is qualified to contest for. Nothing like that happens as Governor Ambode and Asiwaju Tinubu are tested democrats who believes in internal democracy and will let the people decide just as they decided when over 80% of party delegates voted for Yayi to fly the flag of APC in 2014.
The related Ogun State angle to this Lagos West Senatorial district ticket is the issue of Ogun 2019. It is an open secret that Senator Adeola has been making consultations on the possibility of running for governor in Ogun State in 2019 with favourable responses from key stake holder of APC and the people of Ogun State. However he has not declared an intention to contest as his consultation is still on going. There are insinuations that the incumbent governor is against Yayi consultations for Ogun 2019 but that is speculative as the governor himself became governor through a process that is well known. APC is a party that believes in internal democracy as can be seen in the recent unfolding triumph against tenure elongation for its party executives championed by no less a person than President Mohammadu Buhari. Governor Ibikunle Amosun is a democrat and would certainly allow the wish of the people to triumph even in Ogun 2019. Many are sure that the President who is the leader of APC will not allow personal relationship undermine the party’s internal democracy and possibly cost the party electoral loss in Ogun state. So the President and Governor Amosun will support the popular candidate that emerges through the process of free and fair primaries. All other indications at this point are merely speculative as politics of 2019 unfolds. It is however regrettable that some forces will be intimidated to the extent of wanting to exclude a democrat like Yayi who has won 4 consecutive elections from the 2019 race”
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