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Kewulere blasts APC leaders, calls Muraina scammer, Ademola pretender

Published

3 years ago

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A House of Representatives aspirant for Ibarapa Central/North Federal Constituency under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), Hon. Kewulere Mukaram Aliu, has accused leaders of the party in the region of sabotaging the aspirations of committed members who are aspiring for different political positions in the region.

Kewulere, in this interview session with Peoples Conscience on Saturday, May 14, 2022, described the third-term lawmaker representing the constituency, Hon. Ajibola Muraina as a scammer. Mukaram also accused Hon. Ademola Obafemi Ojo of sabotaging the zoning arrangement of the party under the guise of trying to challenge Hon. Muraina who joined the party on April 30, 2022.

Kewulere, a native of Ayete in the Ibarapa North local government area of Oyo State is a banker of many years of experience.

Excerpt:

Peoples Conscience: There have been rumours making rounds the constituency that you stepped down from running simply because you could not afford the APC expression of interest and nomination forms. How true is this rumour, Hon. Kewulere?

Kewulere: Thank you, is not that I don’t have the money, I am a banker and when we want to do things, a lot of factors and indices have to be put into consideration. Now that we call our party the All Progressives Congress, we still had to increase the ticket for House of Representatives from N5m to N10m. That is not the issue, to get the money is not a problem. My interest and passion for my community and for my people to develop is sacrosanct and very important to me, not because I want to go there to steal or to increase the level of corruption in the country. It is to serve my people and I want to put my money on the line to go and serve them. So, I have to be very careful and look at it whether the project I want to invest in is going to be fruitful.

Putting all that into consideration, consultations and reaching out to people have to be done very well. We have two local government areas in Ibarapa Central/North federal constituency. Winning this seat, you can’t do it alone in Ibarapa North, before I put this money down, I decided to approach our party leaders from the other local government which is Ibarapa Central, I was doing this to know if I would get the necessary support so that my hard earned money will not be a waste. If I cannot get this support, why would I waste N10m for no reason?.

If I said I have the money, everybody knows that, everyone knows my economic status, but because of the love I have for the constituency and the belief in me that I can actually develop the community if given the mandate to represent, my parents, friends and colleagues everywhere were putting money on the line and I have more than enough but I cannot say because it is not actually my money I will now just go and waste it. And those leaders I was even speaking for their support and partnership, they were telling me I have no chance.

PC: Were you told not to pick up the party expression of interest and nomination forms by the party leaders? Who are those party leaders?

Kewulere: Yes, when I was asking those people that matter, the party leaders, none of them assured me that I should go and pick nomination forms.

PC: Must they give you go-ahead before you pick the nomination forms?

Kewulere: That is part of what we call consultation, so, in the line of consultations, and people were saying that those individuals drumming that they are behind you, indirectly they are not behind you. We don’t have to deceive ourselves, most of our brothers when they come around even those aspiring, I was telling them we should enter into a dialogue. Since we have the same intention of developing our area, let’s come together as youths.

PC: One of your brothers from Ibarapa North, Yinka Oduola couple of days ago alleged that your party leaders prevented him from obtaining the APC nomination forms for House of Reps. And this same party stakeholders earlier said the party ticket for House of Representatives had been zoned to Ibarapa North and State Assembly to Central. Why is it that those who are from Ibarapa North are finding it difficult to obtain nomination forms for the same seat?. This zoning arrangement was one of the reasons why the then incumbent lawmaker, Hon. Ayoade Olugbenga Ojoawo could not return to the green chamber in 2019. What do you have to say about this?

Kewulere: I must be sincere with you, that is part of the reason why we have to put our thinking cap on, the zoning has been done, but I must tell you that with the look of things, they have cancelled that zoning arrangement and I don’t think it will ever work again.

The same our fathers who sat together and said they had zoned the ticket to each of the two local government areas in the constituency following the precedence.

After the defection of one of our brothers from PDP back to APC, the same leaders are now telling us that Ajibola Muraina is a lawyer, that he knows that zoning is not constitutional.

PC: Are the APC leaders in the constituency afraid that Muraina is a lawyer and that he could challenge them on the zoning they are now describing unconstitutional themselves? Is that the reason they are now going back on their own already planned arrangements?.

Kewulere: It is one of the reasons that if they don’t follow what Muraina wants, he may take them to court. But we are making references to the fact that in every society and constitution, for peaceful coexistence, a lot of things have to be put in place. They said Muraina has every right to vote and be voted for. If that is what the national body of the party thought of, they wouldn’t have zoned the Presidency to the South now.

In Oyo State politics, they zoned the chairmanship seat to Oke-Ogun area that’s why Omodewu became the Chairman of the APC in Oyo State. How can the same Chairman who enjoyed the benefit of zoning to become the Chairman of the party be telling our party leaders in Ibarapa that zoning is not constitutional? And that they should give Muraina the opportunity to run if he wishes. The same our party leaders in the region who called all the aspirants that so so position has been zoned to Ibarapa North and Ibarapa Central. That whoever that wants to contest in Ibarapa Central cannot contest for anything except State Assembly and whoever has State Assembly interest from Ibarapa North and believes he has the capacity and qualifications can only contest for House of Representatives. They said this before all of us.

Just overnight, there were rumours here and there that money has exchanged hands, we don’t know which one is true, but it is a big slap and surprise that the same highly respected leaders of our party in the constituency who came up with the idea of zoning are now changing their language.

Personally, I have been suspecting, and that is why I did not rush to go and pick up the party nomination forms. At injury time, even those progressives from Central are of the opinion that if Muraina is coming and he is hell-bent on contesting again for the 5th time that the only person that can tackle him is Hon. Ademola Obafemi Ojo and that is the same Ademola Ojo I have been talking to about my political ambition since. Even when I was about to go and pick up the forms, I called him and told him I needed his consent because we need to partner in order to work together for Dr. Olusola Ayandele’s aspiration. Hon. Ademola Ojo refused to pick my calls, after much pressure, I sent a text message to him because of the arrangement, partnership and relationship between us. Because it is Ayandele’s camp which Ademola Ojo belongs to that I have been working with and I was telling them I would appreciate it if they can give me their consent, their assurance, that we are going to get the necessary support when the issue of delegates comes from Ibarapa Central. Ademola Ojo refused to pick my calls. Having sensed he was ignoring me, I used another phone number to call him and he picked, after he noticed it was me, he said “Akewulere, I am sorry, I saw your message, give me like 5 minutes, I will respond to it and he dropped the call.

Later, Ademola Ojo replied me on WhatsApp and said: “If you believe you can win the primary conveniently, go ahead and purchase.” And that was on Friday when it remained like 2 days when they have extended the sale of forms to the following Monday and Tuesday.

PC: Does Ademola’s statement imply that he was not in support of your ambition any long? And why?

Kewulere: He wasn’t decisive, so I contacted our leaders from Ibarapa North especially Hon. Ojegoke Fatai and others and they said I should exercise patience till on Monday, May 9, 2022.

Only for me to be informed by people that the same Ademola Ojo I was carrying along about my political ambition would pick up his expression of interest and nomination forms for House of Representatives on the same Monday.

So if he had picked the forms, I was talking to myself that what of other brothers from Igboora and Idere that had picked House of Assembly forms too. He just wants to scatter the zoning arrangement.

If Muraina is coming to disrupt everything that have been arranged, must Ademola Ojo and others join him?. Olusegun Okanlawon first picked, Muraina and Ademola Ojo then followed. Why the pretence?

During that time, about seven House of Representatives aspirants had picked nomination forms in Ibarapa North too. Even if I want to obtain the forms, tell me the assurance that the party delegates I was relying on Ademola Ojo and others for, tell me how I would get it since they are now jostling for the same ticket too?. This is the reason why I decided not to waste my money.

PC: Are you now saying the APC leaders in Ibarapa have compromised?

Kewulere: Yes, sure!

PC: Are these leaders for development or they are only interested in partisan politics?

Kewulere: That is the question, but whatever they have, it is our own generation, we need to think about our own future and development of our land. Most of these party leaders are aged, with due respect to them, they have done their bit, but in economics, there is law of diminishing returns, with their experience and wisdom, I must tell you they are already diminishing in terms of relevance, in terms of cognitive reasoning and most of them, what is their economic status? They are just looking for what to eat, so the issue of development or progress and the future of their children is not longer paramount to them. Is not important to them. But we appreciate whatever they have done in the past, it is we the youth that must take the bull by the horns and version out another means of telling our people that if these people want to destroy our generation and that of our children, because very soon, our own children will start asking that when these leaders were doing all those things what were you doing.

PC: Do you still have the plan to contest despite the present challenge in your party?

Kewulere: I am still contesting, I must tell you. Not under APC, a lot of parties still have their windows open to subscription. I am still in the race, whoever wins in APC and we know that Ibarapakan has been given ticket in PDP, I am going to be the third candidate.

PC: A letter was written recently by the Ibarapa North chapter of the APC to the state leadership of the party disowning Ajibola Muraina and that the next APC House of Representatives candidate must come from the North to ensure fair sharing, equity and togetherness. Are you telling the public that these people wrote this letter to deceive the aspirants from the North that they are with them?

Kewulere: You are reporting defaulters to another set of defaulters. So, nothing will come out of it, but it will be on record that people that matter did not just keep mute when that injustice is being done. They gave me a copy of that letter, it was written by all the Ward Chairmen of the APC in Ibarapa North and I gave them my nod that they should go ahead. They circularized it, they placed it on the social media, so nobody will deny having it. And it’s a collective decision that the zoning arrangement is sacrosanct and must be respected.

But now we are hearing that zoning or no zoning everyone has the right to contest, that Muraina Ajibola has the right to vote and be voted for. That zoning is not constitutional. But in the level of equity, justice and fairness, he is not the only educated individual in Ibarapa North and Ibarapa Central. This will be his 5th time that he is contesting, he had contested for 4 times and lost once. He has been on the ballot since 2007. And sincerely, nobody will be in the corridors of power without having one thing or the other to point at as achievement. But is that achievement that he has been able to refer to commensurate to what it is due to the people of his constituency from the federal level? It is NO! The little ones you are seeing now, like I have moved motions for Polytechnics, Colleges of education. A motion you have moved since 2019 that has not passed to second reading should be known that it has been thrown into dustbin.

Those motions are just part of his campaign strategy, the guy is a scammer and he will continue to be one. Go and check his history, he does not have any good line of professionalism, he is a doctor in the legal field, but tell me how many court cases did he do before he joined politics? He was struggling before Ibarapa North through Ayete Microfinance Bank promoted him to the level he can contest and win, through the bank money.

PC: Hon. Kewulere, are you sure of these allegations?

Kewulere: The records are there, he borrowed money from the bank and since then he now has a taste of that national cake, which business has he been doing? Where was his chamber? How many court cases have you heard he won or lost as a lawyer? Was he that visible in the legal field? Those are the questions to ask, so somebody who has not been able to be prosperous in the field he has chosen and just ventured into politics and looked at the benefits therein that cannot be gotten elsewhere that is one of the reasons why he doesn’t want to leave the stage.

It is now left to us, to come together as people that the development of that area is more important to us and the future generations. And we can’t put that into the hands of one man who thinks no other person is more qualified or competent than him in the constituency.

PC: There are also rumours everywhere that some of the APC leaders are in Muraina’s payroll even long before the third-term lawmaker officially joined the APC. How true is that allegation?

Kewulere: It is a rumour, but I must confirm to you that in every rumour, there is iota of truth. I have a brother who worked with him in his first election as a legislative adviser or supporter. And the guy can confirm to the question you just asked that they were the ones giving money to those APC leaders and PDP leaders as gift. Definitely when times like this come you know they won’t be able to say NO to his wishes. If those people we praise to high heaven could back out of that zoning arrangement without any concrete reason, you should know something is wrong somewhere. When you add it together, the permutation will confirm some of those allegations. This is the situation we have found ourselves in the constituency but a lot of my followers are still in the APC.

They believe I have worked for the party and yet, they are ready to support me and tour the line of development if I choose to accept any other political platform to actualise my political dream. But with my consultations here and there, I have been advised to exercise patience for the primary to hold and see the level at which things go. If is it still other way round, like I said earlier, I am still contesting. If Ademola Ojo wins, Muraina is not going to work for him, neither will he work for Ibarapakan. If Muraina wins, Ademola Ojo will not work for him, he beat him in the last election, if he beats him again at this primary, either Ademola as it had been alleged, pulled out of the party, he may choose to contest in another party that means we are likely to have 3 House of Representatives candidates from Igboora. And if he doesn’t pick another party, he will not work for the two guys- Muraina and Ibarapakan. So, I believe is we youth that can end their game.

I must assure you that those brothers of mine who have already picked House of Assembly forms from Igboora and Idere are not happy with these set of people that are jeopardizing their chances. If not for the fact that Eruobodo is coming up. Idere, Ayete and Tapa communities have been pushed back to the second fiddle, they want to be exchanging that seat between Igboora and Igangan and if that is what they want, it is the same set of people that want to be enjoying it within themselves. It is high time we joined hands together and tell our people to open their eyes to ensure that we push these people out of corridors of power so that we can actually see the development we are agitating for.

PC: With this arrangement now, if Muraina or Ademola Ojo eventually wins the party ticket, do you have any assurance that APC will win the forthcoming election in the federal constituency?

Kewulere: It is a return order, the chance is very slim, but one has to be careful, because if I say they are not going to win, people would think it is because of my own interest, but the permutation on ground is that people are tired of Muraina if he eventually wins the party ticket and if it is Ademola Ojo, especially people from Ibarapa North believe that he is also part of the people destroying the zoning arrangement with diplomacy. Those are the things that may work against them, but you know because they are big people, they believe in the money politics to get whatever they want by all means.

They will share money and it is the same hapless electorates they will use to execute their hidden agenda but this time around, it may not work that way, people will collect money and tell them that these people cannot actually represent us any longer.

PC: What are the aspirants from Ibarapa North doing to challenge the status-quo? Because it will be 20 years in 2027 that Ibarapa Central politicians have been representing the constituency since the inception of democracy in 1999. Do you have any kind of relationship with the rest of the aspirants to make sure someone from Ibarapa North emerges as the party’s candidate?.

Kewulere: We have some other like minded youths in that area and that is why, part of the consultation is what we should wait till the primaries are over. I have been engaging some of them lately, we have a very good relationship most especially with the new aspirants from the local government. If God helps us, it is not a difficult thing to approach them after the primaries and we can now come back to a drawing board to fight the so-called powerful people. It is something we can do and explore that opportunity.

Kewulere: The reason why I refused to obtain the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms is far from the issue of money because I am going to another party if they finally pick someone from Central as usual and it is still money I am going to spend in the party I am planning to join. The money is available but as a banker, I cannot invest in something I know it is not going to be fruitful where I am putting it. And where I want to put it now, nobody is giving us, it is a risk but it should be a calculated one, the calculated one we are having now is that all things being equal. I am an aspirant to be, irrespective of the party I run to.

I must sincerely appreciate Peoples Conscience for giving me the platform to express myself and we appreciate that you people can use your platform as part of the ways to educate our electorates that it is high time we dropped money politics for collective development of our region.

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Encounters

Ibarapa North: Fracas Planned by Aggrieved Members to Tarnish Chairman’s Image – SA on Media

Published

2 years ago

on

August 17, 2022

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During a media chat with Peoples Conscience on Tuesday, Qudus Odugbemi said loyalists of Hon. Akorede, descended on Monsuru when the latter allegedly slapped the number one citizen of Ibarapa North local government.

Monsuru Tunji Ajibola who is the secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ibarapa North, was hospitalized on Monday, August 15, 2022 after a face-off between him and Hon. Lateef Akorede at the council Secretariat in Ayete, headquarters of Ibarapa North.

In this interview, Odugbemi maintained that Hon. Lateef tried everything to save the situation, adding that the chairman himself is also taking care of himself.

Excerpt:

Peoples Conscience: It has been reported that your principal, Hon. Lateef Akorede allegedly beat Mr. Monsuru Tunji Ajibola to stupor. What do you have to say about this and what could have transpired between the local government Chairman and his party Secretary?

Odugbemi: Thank you, what happened yesterday was a show of shame on the part of the party secretary, his action yesterday was a plan between him and some other aggrieved members of the the party executives, it was a well planned scenario to stain the good work of the executive chairman in order for them to achieve their selfish ambition, but to the glory of God, the scene was witnessed by party leaders who tried to calm Mr. Monsuru when he was verbally abusing and accusing the chairman of funds he is not in possession of, he attacked the chairman, slapped him before the chairman’s loyalists descended on him and beat him up. Even while he was being beaten, the chairman tried his best to rescue him, but the angry youths could not be controlled. But we thank God, he’s alive and responding to treatment.

PC: What could have led to that action by the party Secretary as alleged by you? Was there any unresolved issue between your principal and Mr. Tunji ab initio?

Odugbemi: He said the chairman is not taking care of them, he said he is not taking care of the party members of which is not true, but all I see here is; while asking for youth inclusion in governance, we should always make sure the youths to vouch for are responsible ones.

PC: Mr. SA, in recent times, your principal has always been in the news for issues not unconnected with alleged financial misappropriation, use of political thugs to unleash mayhem on his perceived political enemies even in his party, amongst others.

An illustration of such was the staged protest in March this year by the elected Councillors across the 10 wards in the local government area where they alleged that Hon. Lateef Akorede was running the affairs of the local government alone. They even went as far as taking legislative sitting elsewhere. How would you describe your principal in terms of judicious use of the local government funds, crisis management, and delivery of good governmance?

Odugbemi: There is nothing like political thugs with him, they are just people who are loyal to the chairman and will not stand to see him being insulted, and like I said in my previous response; whenever we are calling for youth inclusion in governance, we should also make sure they are responsible ones, some of these youths are just hungry ones who want to use politics as an avenue to get rich, how can you say your chairman is not doing well while community people are embracing him? All you see them shouting for is about money sharing, or have you ever seen any of those people saying the chairman pockets any money meant for development?, It is always about their personal interest.

On crisis management, Hon. Lateef tried to manage what happened yesterday by not responding to the assault, but it was out of his capacity when people heard the chairman saying ” you slapped me.”

PC: Are the elected Councillors who protested in March hungry too?.

Odugbemi: I didn’t say they are or they are not but responsible people won’t resolve to violence on a matter that can be settled amicably.

PC: What happened to the N2.5m delegates fund that Mr. Tunji alleged your principal of siphoning and the N1m from Gov. Makinde for Ileya festival (Eid-al-Adha) he said Hon. Akorede pocketed?.

Odugbemi: Those are blatant lies, is the party chairman aware of the allegations? Is the party chairman not in the position for him to throw his query at? Funds meant for the party are no way in possession of the council chairman, the party chairman is in the best position to answer that question.

PC: Mr. Tunji, in his statement on Monday, said those were the questions that landed him in the hospital. The party Chairman and the local government Chairman were said to be in the violence-ridden meeting.

Odugbemi: You should have asked him if he didn’t slap the chairman before those guys descended on him, no one would have beaten him if he didn’t slap the number one citizen of his local government, he brought that fate on himself.

PC: Is there any evidence to prove how he slapped the chairman?

Odugbemi: No one could have imagined something of such will happen but it happened in the midst of party leaders and they all witnessed him slapping the chairman.

PC: Were you at the scene?

Odugbemi: I was not there, I got the information from those who were at the event and everyone of them testified that it was the party secretary that first slapped the chairman before nearby guys rushed in to intervene which resulted into what happened to him.

PC: With the series of internal crises in your political party at the local level, how prepared is your party ahead of 2023 general elections? Don’t you think this division would have adverse effect on the party performance next year?

Odugbemi: Every political party is battling with crisis and crises are always bound to happen and it is even better that people are showing their true colour now than staying quiet and later work against the progress of the party.
There is no cause for alarm because in politics, you cannot manage everyone, there will always be bad eggs that need to be sorted out.

And about winning the next general elections, we are always prepared and we believe the little crisis happening will not stop our victory next year, we are ahead of any crisis lingering.

PC: Today makes it 447 days that your governmnent took over the local government. That is exactly 1 year, 2 months and 22 days. Kindly rate your administration on the scale of 1-10.

Odugbemi: I will rate our government 9 over 10, the chairman has been doing tremendously well, and he will continue to do more, the chairman only swore an oath to the good people of Ibarapa North and not to the party he belongs to, the chairman is doing all he can do with the resources at his disposal.

PC: Your principal told us he had bruise all over his face? Did you confirm that?

Odugbemi: Early hours of the following day that the event happened, I visited the chairman and I saw bruises on his face, his eyes look bad, he was injured too.

PC: What is the party’s decision on the lingering issue?

Odugbemi: I don’t know anything about that, I’m not a member of the party executives and I know decisions will be communicated very soon.

PC: Do you think the Governor will be happy to hear everything that had happened in the local government Secretariat? What is your view on everything? Are you disappointed in the two individuals at all?.

Odugbemi: The Governor can not be happy about it, that is very certain, I’m not in any way disappointed in the chairman because he is humane, I’m only disappointed in the party secretary who took the advantage of the chairman’s peaceful lifestyle by making sure he brought a stain on him and on the local government.

PC: The victim insisted yesterday that he was repeatedly punched by Hon. Akorede while his alleged political thugs also mounted on him on the instruction of your principal.

Has the chairman visited the injured party Secretary in the hospital?

Odugbemi: The chairman too is injured and he needs to attend to himself also, not lying down in a hospital bed and calling for news men to hear his own side of the story doesn’t mean he’s fine.

PC: What are your final words?

Odugbemi: May we not deliver a message of no return to our benefactors.

PC: Thank you for speaking with Peoples Conscience

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Encounters

Among all the young aspirants, only Bisi Akande was able to buy nomination forms – Akorede Media Aide

Published

3 years ago

on

April 25, 2022

By

The S.A on media to Hon. Lateef Akorede, Qudus Odugbemi, has reacted to peoplesconscience’s report on how his principal was rejecting Hon. Peter Ojedokun to impose another Peter Ojedokun in the making.

During a media chat with this News Agency on Sunday, Qudus told PC where the rumour of Akorede’s support for Bisi Akande was coming from.

In this interview, Odugbemi said that only Bisi Akande was able to buy expression of interest form of the party that other young aspirants were only campaigning on the social media.

Excerpt:

Peoples Conscience: What is the relationship between Hon. Bisi Akande and Hon. Lateef Akorede?

Odugbemi: Just a political relationship, Bisi Akande is a card carrying member of the PDP.

PC: How true is the rumour that Hon. Bisi Akande is the anointed candidate of Hon. Lateef Akorede?.

Odugbemi: Thank you, it all started when some of us (PDP youth) talked down the chance of Peter Ojedokun returning as a consensus candidate. We asked our people whom are youths and that are interested in House of Assembly ticket should come out and we have like 4-5 of them campaigning but at the end of the day, it was only Bisi Akande who was able to buy his expression of interest form. No one else did.

Odugbemi: The chairman decided to do some background checks on him regarding his popularity in his community, how well is he connected with the youth, and his acceptability among our people and we get to know that presently, he is having more supporters than Peter Ojedokun. Meanwhile, Bisi Akande is just 38 years of age contrary to that age that people are giving him.

PC: So, what you are saying now is that only Bisi Akande was bold enough to pick expression of interest form?.

Odugbemi: That is it.

PC: Has the form closed?

Odugbemi: Not yet but almost and no one else is showing willingness to do so.

PC: People are saying Bisi Akande is another Peter Ojedokun in the making. How true is that?

Odugbemi: That is a lie, it is just a political statement, Bisi Akande is a ready made entrepreneur who is so accommodating and respectful (that’s according to what we were told by the people in Igangan). I have no personal relationship with him and till now, I have not spoken with him for once but that’s the recommendation we got from Igangan people.

PC: So, Hon. Lateef Akorede is rooting for Hon. Bisi Akande because the latter is the only aspirant who was able to secure the party’s expression of interest form apart from PG?.

Odugbemi: The chairman is not rooting for him, the PDP youth are the ones rooting for him, people are saying that because the chairman is not showing interest in PG re-election.

PC: But his aides are rooting for him including yourself. We have some screenshots with us too. What about that?

Odugbemi: We have every right to root for anyone, we have to show the party what we need, whom we want to avoid failure.
The chairman is not someone who will force any candidate on his aides, infact, he will listen to what we want because he has listening ears.

Odugbemi: Let me tell you something, I was rooting for someone else before but the person couldn’t buy the form and at the end stepped down to support PG. I know mentioning his name will sound somehow.

PC: Could you please mention the name of the person for clarity sake?

Odugbemi: Taiwo Segun popularly known as Candy.

PC: Do you have any evidence to back this allegation up?

Odugbemi: Smile! I don’t want to dig in so much, I have my evidence. Most of these aspirants are just social media aspirants, no one knows them at their various wards.

PC: What effort has your principal put in place to help qualified youths in the party who may probably have the financial strength to get the party’s ticket?. Remember he got to that position through people’s help too.

Odugbemi: You know we need to see those who are really ready for the game, willingness matters, apart from campaign on the social media, no one else shows the willingness that he or she is really interested. An adage says: Omo ti o’ba sinpa ni iya e ngbe.

PC: Is your political camp now supporting Hon. Bisi Akande on the ground that he was able to buy the party’s expression of interest form not minding his capacity for the job?.

Odugbemi: Like I told you, we have recommendations already, and you can’t know better than those who are closer to him.

PC: What is the assurance that he will get the party’s ticket?.

Odugbemi: We are on it though, the assurance is very slim because PG is having powerful backup from the state.

PC: But the truth of the matter is that Akorede and the people of the constituency don’t want PG again, right?.

Odugbemi: Not Akorede! The people of the constituency.

PC: How true is the allegation that Hon. Akande used to nab bikes from those he might have already given those bikes to for higher purchase?.

Odugbemi: You know as a businessman, everyone desires is to make profits and sometimes when those you gave the bikes too refuse to pay as expected for many weeks/months, you will be left with no option but to retrieve your bike in order not to run into loses.

PC: A lot of people are just hearing the name Akande for the first time, do you think such candidate can win election for your party?.

Odugbemi: When you get to his community, he’s well known there and when we look back to 2019, you will realize that party structure do help a candidate win that personal popularity.

PC: What is your take on the staged protest at Dr. Anthony Adebayo’s house on April 18, 2022?. Will your principal also feign ignorance of that development?.

Odugbemi: The protest wasn’t staged, it was a protest of intent by us and it’s for the betterment of the community, people talked to every stakeholder at the meeting with full boldness and not minding anyone including the chairman, none of them was allowed to talk or address them, it’s just that some people will call it a staged protest because it wasn’t for them and that’s normal.

PC: Was Hon. Akorede in support of the protest?

Odugbemi: He wasn’t aware, everything was planned behind him because if he’s aware, he won’t allow it because all eyes are already on him that he’s not in support of PG.

He was shocked, I wasn’t aware too till I saw the live video online.

The organisers believe I was with the chairman as at the time of the urgent meeting to run the protest and if they had called me, the information might be leaked and the chairman may not allow them to do the protest.

PC: But his P.A covered the protest live?!

Odugbemi: His office P.A. He is always in office and not always with the chairman.

PC: So, Akorede’s P.A doesn’t have personal relationship with him, right?

Odugbemi: He does, but he is tied with enough work in office in case the chairman is not around. He needs to attend to people who are seeking to see the chairman or students that need one or two things to do at the chairman’s office and a lot of things practically.

PC: What do you have for the people of your constituency as 2023 election draws nearer?

Odugbemi: Personally, I will appreciate the good people of our constituency for being real about the love they have for our region, it’s very clear that a lot of our people really want the growth of this region and that’s what is driving us too to rejecting whom we see as incompetent enough to drive us into prosperity and we youths of the ruling party are working hard to present credible and trusted candidates to represent us both at the state House and at the federal level.

May Almighty Allah spare our lives beyond 2023 elections.

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Encounters

I didn’t terminate Adelodun’s appointment, I raised motions in the House with many achievements – Iloko

Published

3 years ago

on

April 23, 2022

By

Hon. Ayoade Olugbenga Ojoawo who represented the Ibarapa Central/North Federal Constituency between 2015 and 2019, has cleared the air on the rumour making round the social media that he never had a motion throughout his 4 years at the green chamber.

The Igangan-born politician, in a 40-minute telephone conversation with peoplesconscience on Friday, April 22, 2022, highlighted his series of achievements as a federal lawmaker, his motions on the floor of the House and his relationship with Mr. Lawal Soliu Adelodun.

Mr. Lawal Soliu Adelodun who is a former aide to the ex-lawmaker had on Thursday, April 21, 2022, described Hon. Ayoade Olugbenga as a total mess whose candidacy would spell doom for the APC if he is eventually given ticket to contest again in 2023.

Mr. Soliu who is also a contestant, made the statement that has now gone viral shortly after the zoning arrangement of the APC in the constituency was adjudged on Wednesday.

Excerpt:

Peoples Conscience: We have called you to ask about the controversy and heated arguments going on the social media and in your constituency.

PC: Hon. Ayoade, are you not bothered about all the accusations most especially now that 2023 election draws nearer?.

Iloko: Thank you for reaching out to me, there is no controversy anywhere, it is politics that we are doing. It’s politics O’clock and we that are doing it and those who are grounded in it understand that that is how politics is all about most especially, during this period that everyone is jostling for ticket. It is not always easy for political parties during this period, it’s wisdom that those party leaders always use to select their candidates. There is no how they will do it that there will be no controversy but as human beings, if the ticket is given to a lady, other gander will react and if it is otherwise, ladies will react too. But the major thing is that whoever is in power, should use the opportunity to better the living conditions of his people.

As we all know, during this period, people are suffering, there is no job opportunity for our teeming intelligent youths, farm invasion by headsmen, education crisis, power crisis, farming, security challenges. There are problems everywhere but everyone is actually looking for a way out of this problem we actually found ourselves. And if care is not taken, the Bible says “when the righteous are in the position of authority, the nation rejoices” but when the wicked are in power, the people suffer.”

But I want to specifically address what we have in your publication by one of my brothers.

PC: You said one of your brothers, is Mr. Lawal your brother?.

Iloko: He is my younger brother, I can even call him my son based on the relationship between us and when you are dealing with relation, you treat it as such.

PC: How true is the allegation that you terminated his appointment as one of your aides while you were in office and on what ground was it carried out?

Iloko: That is one of the things I want to address with you, I didn’t sack Adelodun, he rather resigned his own appointment. He resigned himself and if he dares me, I will publish his resignation letter to show the whole world who is lying between both of us. If I have any reason to face any crisis in life, I face it specifically on my own. Nobody can be responsible for life ordeals I might be facing and I will never interpret it that it must have been caused by one or two other persons. Anything that comes to my way, I am responsible for it, I will rather face such through a devine encounter.

PC: Is it true that you never had any achievement throughout your tenure as a federal lawmaker?. Hon. Adelodun said you are a colossal failure.

Iloko: Well, if he says I don’t have achievement, I do not know what he had achieved or what he is comparing my tenure to be. I do not know his standard or his pure assessment of what achievement looks like.

To the glory of the living God, my tenure of 4 years, I ran just between 2015 and 2019. I put down 3 big buses to serve as free transport facility for students between Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North. 5 towns experienced free transportation for 3 and half years during my tenure. And each of the buses can take as many as 100 or 120 students at once. This I did within the constituency.

Secondly: Within that 4 years, I had a block of 3, 4 and 5 classrooms in each of the communities in Ibarapa North and Ibarapa Central that made up the federal constituency. In Igboora, I had a block of 4 classrooms at Igboora High School. In Idere, Okedere High School was transformed by me. At Ayete Grammer School, I had another block of 4 classrooms. In Tapa, I had a block of 4 classrooms at Tapa Community School. In Igangan, I also had a block of 4 classrooms at Oke-Ako High School, Igangan that were renovated and transformed to modern classrooms with necessary teaching equipment.

My achievement didn’t limit to that, I also did street light of about 67 poles across Ibarapa North and Ibarapa Central. I had solar powered boreholes. One is located at Koso area, Idere. I put one in Igangan and Tapa as well. These are verifiable facts.

I was a publisher before I became a politician, so, whatever I say I want people to take me up.

Within that period, I built a skill acquisition center in Igboora, it is located at Isale-Oba area in Igboora. Though, not completed yet.

Also, these federal projects were facilitated by me: The police station today in Igangan, it is called Abuja type 2 police station, you can only see that type of police station in Abuja metropolis and secondly, to the glory of the living God, Federal Science Technical College, Igangan was also facilitated by me. They resumed their second term today. They have students across the country and is this not a thing of joy?.

Within that 4 years, I worked on the reconstruction of the road between Igangan and Igboora.

I did empowerment progamme for the youths. Even for women, I had a training for them that was done in Ayete. Where I empowered over 250 women and trained them on solar soap making and they were equally supported financially to start the business on their own.

For the youth, I trained 120 youths on fish farming and today, we have a number of them doing well in fish farming in our region.

If these are not achievements, I wonder his own definition of achievement.

He was my PA during these periods, I really don’t want to dwell on his matter. I thought he would make use of the opportunity given to him but maybe he is trying to do something else and my comment will never be on him.

He should compare my achievements side by side to someone who is running his third term within the constituency and let us see what impact we have recorded in the constituency in 12 years of his administration. I was federal representative for just 4 years, executives are meant to do more.

If you ask me, my leaders are fully aware of my achievements because there is no any of those projects that I commissioned that they did not fully embrace it.

If he says I was a mess that the party should rather not present me, he should name who and who to be presented but simply speaking, in life, you have your full right to express your mind anyhow you like, but speech making is determined by our level of moral contiousness. Are you accusing someone else? Are you insulting him? I will rather say speak less of the things you know very little about.

PC: Hon. Ayoade, how true is the rumour that you never had any motion or bill throughout your 4 years in office?.

Iloko: Well, if they say I didn’t sponsor a bill, I think I have motions there, truly speaking, not bills. I raised some motions with the following titles:

Number one: A motion on devastating erosion within Ibarapa Central/Ibarapa North Federal Constituency, the need for federal government intervention.

Secondly: Re-evaluating Fulanis/herders in their host communities. This issue is a big problem today when you really need to talk about Fulani or herdsmen in various host communities within south west, south east or in the middle belt region of Nigeria. I think I envisaged the problem for a very long time ago and this is a very big problem to address now.

Thirdly: I had another motion on security lapses in my constituency, titled: Security lapses and challenges across my constituency in Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North, Oyo State.

The motions I raised also included, the need to reconstruct Abeokuta-Badagry-Sokoto expressway. This same road is what they are repairing today. It was always a matter of concern for me during the period, because of its dilapidated state.

I had many other motions on the floor of the House that are verifiable, I really don’t know why they are saying I never had a motion.

PC: Did you sponsor any bill at all?

Iloko: Truly speaking, I was a joint stakeholder to some bills that were sponsored in the House during the period.

There is no way a lawmaker will not speak in the House, and if you are a first timer, the apprehensions are always very high because they need to know you, the house leadership needs to study you in detail as to what you can raise or sponsor and most times, whenever you want to move motions it is always an issue that calls for concern. Do you know that throughout my 4 years in the House, many of us that are strict party members of the APC were being short viewed because we had someone in the name of an APC member who became the Speaker but his associates are in the opposition. They literally benched those APC members, Yakub Dogara would rather call his PDP friends whenever they wanted to speak but despite that, we thank God.

PC: Is there any meeting you people had together where Mr. Adelodun was asked to step down for you? Because he said he would rather quit politics than stepping down for you.

Iloko: Well, to God who made me, there is no such discussion between us. If he is being asked to step down, I am not aware but if it matters, whatever happens I think he has his own choice to make. For my own part, life is a stage where everyone is expected to pay a part, whatever comes to his way, I think it is the best thing for him and I wish him goodluck.

PC: Are you contesting in 2023?

Iloko: To the glory of the living God, if I am picked, I will contest. If I am picked and favour runs to my way, truly speaking, I will contest. And if it is otherwise, I am ready to support anybody that my party picks.

PC: What is your comment on the recent zoning arrangement of the APC in the constituency?

Iloko: When we had a meeting, they said House of Representatives ticket had been zoned to North and that of House of Assembly to Central. There is nothing we can do about it because it is a custom, it didn’t start today. In all ramifications, our party recognises contributions of leaders and elders. There is no place where elders will not have prominent role to play and even if they have never been House of representatives members or they have not been in the Senate or equally become President, you should know that in terms of experiences, they are more than any of us. Everyone must act in line with their decision in order to do what is right.

In 2015, I didn’t become a House of Representatives member suddenly without being cleared by these leaders and by that zoning system, I picked the form and God was on my side and I won. So this time around, that the same ticket had been zoned to our side again. It gives me another opportunity to express my aspiration. There are so many other persons with same aspiration. Ori po ni igbo, olorun lo mo eyi to sun rere.

PC: Does that mean you were disqualified because of this zoning arrangement in 2019?

Iloko: In 2019, the zoning arrangement did not favour me, they rather zoned the House of Representatives ticket to Ibarapa Central and House of Assembly ticket to Ibarapa North.

PC: With this zoning arrangement now, does it mean that it is impossible for a serving lawmaker to run for a second term immediately after the expiration of his first tenure? Because we learnt this zoning arrangement occurs in every 4 years.

Iloko: Yes, with the arrangement, it is difficult but the zoning is good. Though, I have spoken to many of the party leaders. I have spoken seriously about the issue of rotation, we must be very careful about it. They are leaders, they needed to be guided too, there are times that it is necessary to repeat a well performing lawmaker and there is always a need too to continue with some projects that are at hand. Sometimes, there will be a need for continuity, this zoning arrangement doesn’t permit that for now. The way legislative members address issues is different from the way an executive member addresses issues. Sometimes if continuity is favorable, it will be pretty okay to repeat representatives maybe for reasons or the need for such legislator to continue the assignment at hand.

Rotation is our tradition here, but there may be a time that we have to push for a review, maybe later and if it is not allowed, there is nothing we can do about it.

When the zoning arrangement didn’t favour me in the last election, the reason for the fact that I belong to the core progressive, there is no need for me to switch party, I accepted the decision. There wasn’t such need for me to leave my party. I believe in the progressives, my father was a progressive and I took after him and I found myself comfortable with motives and objectives of the party.

PC: What is your relationship with Hon. Ajibola Muraina Saubana, we heard recently that the third term lawmaker had decamped to the APC and the party’s ticket had been given to him to contest in 2023. Is it possible for someone to get ticket from Abuja and come down to his constituency to contest?.

Iloko: Well, some news are being broken here, that someone is coming from Abuja to content in the party. But the fact that I know is that, politics is local, and it has to be addressed in that manner. Abuja has its own territorial constituencies and the municipal council areas. As a result of that, I expected that whoever that is defecting to another party, knows the right step to take and what methodology to follow.

Hon. Muraina is a veteran in politics and I give it to him. God has helped him to go far and He is still helping him. If he chooses to be a member of the progressives, so be it, politics is a place and project where anyone can decide to switch lane as and when due.

We do not have any relationship, the natural relationship that exists between us is that of a brother and as an ex-lawmaker and of course, we are from the same federal constituency. I can’t say that the relationship is warm or cordial but now that he is a member of our party, probably we will need to address some issues together but I don’t know if he had defected to the APC or not. I am yet to understand that.

PC: How would you rate your 4-year performance as a federal lawmaker compared to that of Hon. Muraina first 4 years in office?

Iloko: The people have a choice to make here, I can not be the one to compare my performances and his own activities or project circle in government. People will definitely have to compare, contrast and equally assess our deliverables. I cannot rate myself, I want people to rate me with dividends of democracy that I was able to impact on people and what I did and transpired during my time.

Insecurity issue that I took as important then and pursued so aggressively, I give thanks to God we are feeling its impact today and that it is an issue of national discurse everywhere. But this is to say that, one can decide to see himself as a man that sees tomorrow, but I thank God and I will rather leave that to people to judge.

PC: Did you employ non-indigenes as your aides while in office? Because Mr. Adelodun also accused you of that.

Iloko: He should name them now, is Adelodun himself an indigene of the constituency or not? Is he not part of those aides he was talking about? At least, he served for 2 years and half before he resigned.

He should also mention the parameter that federal lawmakers use to employ people. He should let us know, the facts may be available to him, he should let the world know.

He should tell us the principles, yardsticks and methodology of employing federal lawmaker’s aides.

You need to leverage on performances and experiences, because when you are going to the House, whether you have been there for long or not, nobody will tell you how to brush your teeth and how to dust your eyes. That is why you must leverage on experiences. If he says he has it all, I think he will not be the one to employ for me or probably he was angry because he was not employed as a consultant.

PC: Ever since the news broke out, a lot of people reached out to us that Mr. Adelodun sold one of your cars? It was also alleged that he seized the opportunity of his relationship with you to employ his family members in a certain school in Igangan. Could you clear the air on this?.

Iloko: I don’t record whatever I do based on brotherhood, I can’t be part of those nailing him, he is still my brother. You have the right to do whatever I give to you the way you like, even if you request for another one, I will still give you.

I need some comfort for him and whatever I have done for an individual based on relationship or brotherhood, will never be published to mock such individual. I was not trained that way.

Whatever allegation, the press is not the place to address conflicting issues. But whatever you think is secret, some people could know about it, but he is free to write whatever he likes.

PC: Mr. Adelodun said he worked tiredlessly for you in 2015 to become House of Representatives member.

Iloko: I didn’t win by one vote, I won by several votes. he was among those that worked and he was compensated by becoming a PA. His salary was being paid by the National Assembly. I never paid him, and when he was wary of working, he resigned. And he didn’t resign until after 2 and half years of my tenure.

Definitely whatever you do in life, speaks volumes, either with you or after you.

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