Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The Senator representing Lagos West and a gubernatorial aspirant under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, Solomon Adeola, has distanced himself from the defection of his erstwhile supporters to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Scores of loyalists of the senator in Ogun Central, led by the former chairman of Abeokuta North local government, Moruf Ajisegiri and erstwhile Secretary to the local government, Abeokuta South, Nurudeen Olaleye, had last week joined ADC in a ceremony held in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital. They cited the uncertainty surrounding Adeola’s governorship aspiration in the state, as the main reason for dumping him.
But in a statement on Sunday by the Media Adviser to the senator, Kayode Odunaro, Adeola, declared he did not direct his supporters to join any political party, let alone ADC.
According to him, the supporters, who he described as “few admirers from a faction of a political party” joined ADC on their own.
The senator, otherwise known as Yayi, added that as a progressive of over 20 years, he could not direct his supporters to join a conservative party such as ADC, while a remained a staunch member of APC. He, therefore, declared that he would rather resign than leaving a progressive party like the APC.
Adeola said in the statement, “Attention of Senator Solomon Adeola aka Yayi, a bona fide APC Senator, has been drawn to some misleading reports that his supporters in Ogun state has been directed to or joined ADC following the decision of a few admirers from a faction of a political party on their own join ADC.
“It is true that the few people from Ogun Central that decided to move to ADC were part of the teeming admirers of Yayi and his aspiration. However it is also a fact that their efforts to join APC in furtherance of their support for Yayi were frustrated over time and conclusively during the congresses of APC.
“Yayi has not openly or covertly directed any of his supporters found in SDP, LP and other political parties operational in Ogun State to move to any other political party as he remains firmly rooted in APC and the progressives of the South west, a root that span his entire political life of over 20 years under credible progressives leaders.
“He is on record to say that he will rather resign from politics than leave the progressives folds that is presently domicile in APC.
“It is, therefore, preposterous and misinformation for anyone to have alleged that he directed his supporters to join a conservative party like ADC while he remains in APC”.
He, however, said his supporters in Ogun Central such as former Speaker of OGHA, Tunji Egbetokun, former APC Ogun Central Senatorial chairman, Hon. Kunle Adeshina, and a sitting APC member of OGHA, Hon. Jolaoso, among others, were still in APC, while some from SDP are already in APC on their own volition.
“The few fringe admirers of Yayi that switched party recently were those that had earlier left a faction of PDP in the state and sought party affiliation having been frustrated in their efforts to join APC.
“Senator Adeola remains in APC and encourage all his supporters to remain steadfast in APC, efforts are ongoing in trying to resolve any differences or grievances within the party while my consultations continue,” Yayi submitted in the statement.