APC House Of Commotion, As Ado-Odo Ota LG Chairmanship Aspirants Screening Ends In Fiasco

ABEOKUTA – The second sitting of the screening panel of APC in Ado-Odo Ota Local Government of Ogun State ended in Fiasco on sunday.

The Committee which commenced its assignment last week Wednesday, held interactive sessions with the 15 aspirants which were from Ota Ward 1, 2 and 3, along with Ijoko, Ilogbo and Atan wards all in Ota state constituency.

According to reliable sources, the panel reconvened on Sunday, 18th August, at the residence of the Deputy Governor, Engr. Noimot Salako Oyedele, who was not part of the panel.

The meeting was convened to arrive at a single candidate out of the seven shortlisted.

According to sources, those shortlisted included Hon. Kayode Taiwo from Ward 3, Hon. Wasiu Lawal, Hon. Segun Ojolowo Ojuko and Hon. Kamar Aina from ward 2. Others are Hon. Kazeem Aina and Engr. Muritala Odunlami.

It was learnt that presentation of one candidate brought an argument which the Chairman called for voting to resolve.

According to insiders, temper began to rise when those who voted for one candidate were eight, and those for more than one candidate were four with the secretary abstaining.

Hell was let loose when Hon. Tunji Akinosi allegedly flared up and shouted everyone down that the candidates must be more than one, and it must include Hon. Wasiu Lawal who who was fingered to be the Deputy Governor’s preference.

A caution for decorum by the Party Chairman, Hon. Jimoh Akeran led to Hon. Akinosi’s alleged attack on the Chairman with a barrage of blows before the elders could intervene.

The selection process was abruptly brought to a close with the party leaders scampering for safety.

In attendance were Sen. Akin Odunsi (Chairman), Sen. Gbolahan Dada, Chief Samuel Ayedogbon, Chief Jide Ojuko, Hon Waliu Taiwo, Hon. Jimoh Ojugbele, Hon. Kazeem Salako, Senatorial Party Chairman, Alh. Azeez Ekwueme, Hon. Tunji Akinosi, the Party chairman, Chief Jimoh Akeran, Hon. Musefiu Lamidi, Majority Leader, Hon. Sheriff Yusuf, Hon. Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Sesan Fagbayi, served as the secretary.

Confirming the incident, the APC Chairman in Ado-Odo Ota Local Government, Chief Jimoh Akeran told THE ENCOUNTER NEWS on a telephone interview that crisis started when the screening committee Chairman, Senator Akin Odunsi called for a motion through voting by those present at the meeting to signify their intent on multiple candidates to go for party primary or a consensus candidate should be nominated to the party.

Chief Akeran explained that eight among those present at the meeting supported a consensus candidate while four supported multiple candidates.

The APC Chairman added that, immediately, Hon. Tunji Akinosi started causing commotion, insisting that the meeting cannot agree on a single candidate.

According to him, while attempting to pacify Hon. Akinosi to allow the voice of the majority to prevail and allow the committee to perform its job,  Hon. Akinosi allegedly slapped him.

He said, “That is very true sir. We were going towards the end of the meeting, taking resolutions of what we went there to do, when the Chairman of the committee called for a vote to signify those who support the nomination of one candidate to raise up their hands, eight persons including myself raised up our hands, the chairman called for those who supported more than one candidate to be nominated to raise up their hands, only 4 persons raise their hands.

“Then, the chairman was about to make a resolution, then the guy in question said no, nothing like that will happen. That we cannot adopt that system and he started causing commotion. I only called his attention to order as party chairman that we are here to do an assignment which we will give the governor the outcome.

“And I said he should allow the Chairman to do his job and he said he would not allow any of that, and  I don’t have any locus standing to talk him down, lo and behold he got up and slapped me and that’s the end of the meeting.”

Reacting, Hon. Tunji Akinosi described the allegation against him as mechanization of his political adversaries.

He said the assault allegation on the party chairman was pure political ploy to demarket him ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Hon. Akinosi explained that, the meeting was to streamline the 15 aspirants who have showed interest in the Chairmanship position under APC in the local government.

He said he only suggested that the 15 people should be streamlined to seven, wondering how he could have a vested interest in a particular candidate when he suggested seven aspirants.

He said, “We invited 15 people that have shown their interest in contesting to Her Excellency’s residence and admonished them that only one of them will be picked.

“On Sunday, Senator Odunsi he has a scoring sheet, and I said good, but it will be only good if we reduce the 15 to about 7, so, how could I have suggested seven aspirants if I have a candidate? Will seven aspirants win? People will go out because things don’t go their way.

“So, what would have led to fight when we are not doing primary. Every eight months, they come out with a sponsored blackmail. Let them bring video where I slapped the Chairman. Akeran is only aggrieved and coming up with this because the party has refused to return him as the party chairman.

“Nothing like that, it is just the old game of malign 2027 and kill the person politically before 2027, I assure you, there was no fight any where. Of course, there will be political argument, but for us to go physical, nothing like that happen, but if they have video, let them bring it out and we will speak to the video.”

Efforts to also speak with Senator Akin Odunsi were unsuccessful as he did not pick our reporter’s calls as at the time of filing this report.