By Damilola Kushimo
The former chairman of Oshodi-Isolo LGA Hon. Martins Adegboyega and the former House of Representatives Member, Hon. Gbolahan Okuneye (Gboko) have denied having hands in the controversial petition written under the aegis of Concerned Isolo APC Stakeholders against the former state chairman of the party, Chief Henry Ajomale.
The names of the two political leaders were written at the end of the petition but they have since denied their involvement, saying their names were used only to add weight to the petition.
Indeed, Okuneye told ECHONEWS that although the petition addressed the ills of the party in Isolo, he emphasised that he was unaware until his attention was drawn to it.
The petition which was titled “Tyrannical APC Leadership in Isolo and Effects on APC Chances in Future Elections: An Open Letter to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” was published by a national newspaper on Friday, June 4, and addressed to the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alleging the party leadership and some of its stakeholders of tyranny.
In the petition, the group had alleged Ajomale and Fuji Maestro, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal of imposing Hon. Bayo Olasoju on party members as the chairmanship candidate of the party in the primaries even though the primary election was allegedly characterised by mayhem and irregularities.
The petitioner also alleged the former party chairman of taking all councillorship and wards excos slots to himself in the 2017 LG election and 2019 congress respectively without regards to other groups in the party as they admonished the leadership of the party in Isolo “to embrace peace by sitting at a roundtable to put up an all-inclusive distribution of candidates that would take all shades of interest including that of the other GAC member in the council area, Chief M. A. Taiwo, MHR, Hon. Ganiyu Abiodun Johnson, the council chairman Hon. Shamsudeen Olaleye, Hon. Martins Adegboyega, Hon. Gbolahan Okuneye, etc for the councillorship slots and other position.”
In the words of Okuneye, “I’m not the one that wrote it those who wrote it did so for an effect. I didn’t write it, myself and Baba Adegboyega did not write the piece neither did we sponsor it. The two of us are oblivious of it until it was in print. Chief Adebgboyega saw it on Friday around 2 O’clock and called to inform me about it because, traditionally, I read Punch and Guardian.”
He, however, expressed his doubt that Ajomale will utilise legal means to address the petition but noted that he will make an appearance and defend himself should that be the case as he also explained that such tactics have become a norm in politics, stressing that those behind the petition are unemployed youths who are seeking political prominence.
“The Ajomale that I know is not likely to go to court. If he goes to court let them serve me, I will defend all issues raised. He’s free, I will meet him in court if I’m served. There’s nothing you can do about it (the petition). Politics has become a means of employment. These (those behind the petition) are unemployed boys and that’s because the certificate they hold is wishy-washy so they see politics as a means of employment. And to gain prominence in politics, you have to indulge in matters of this nature, knocking leaders against one another to gain prominence. This particular petition was well crafted, the grammar is beautiful, I love it and I agree with all the content but we did not write it.”
Also disassociating himself from the report in its “entirety”, Chief Adegboyega berated the writers for maligning the leaders of the party.
“Gboco has said it all but let me emphasise that I dissociate myself from the article in its entirety. It’s unfortunate that the writers had to malign the personality of leaders in the council in order to achieve their aim. We should respect leaders and elders in the party. We should not make them subjects of disrepute. I am a party man and I believe in the supremacy of the party. Party is a decider and whatever the party says is final. As a political leader in the LGA as a whole, I will make sure that peace reigns in the party and will not be part of those who want to cause division among members of the party. And my advice to all members is that they should respect the supremacy of the party,” said Adegboyega.
