ABEOKUTA – The Chairman of the Riders and Owners of Motorcycles Organisation (ROMO), Ogun State Chapter, Dr Rasaq Olusola Shotayo, popularly known as “Sholebo” has strongly refuted allegations circulating on social media that he issued a death threat to the Secretary of the All Progressives Congress in Iju Ward, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area, Mr Aleshinloye Owolabi, during the recently concluded presidential primary election of the party.
In a statement he personally signed on Saturday, the ROMO Chairman described the claims as false, misleading, and a deliberate misrepresentation of his remarks at the ward meeting, insisting that the viral video was manipulated to distort the true context of his intervention.
Shotayo explained that as a major stakeholder and committed member of APC, his comments at the gathering were made strictly out of concern for the declining state of party activities in the ward, which he attributed to what he described as the inactive role of the ward secretary.
He maintained that his intervention was aimed at drawing attention to what he called the backwardness affecting the ward’s political structure as a result of poor coordination and lack of effective leadership participation by the secretary, a situation which, according to him, had generated dissatisfaction among party members.
The ROMO Chairman further stated that he only echoed the concerns of APC members in Iju Ward, who he said had already expressed loss of confidence in the ward secretary over his alleged absence from active party engagements and failure to participate in key party activities, including the recently concluded primaries in the ward.
He added that members of the ward had reportedly called for the secretary’s removal due to his alleged non-performance and absence from party affairs, stressing that his comments were reflective of the prevailing sentiments within the party structure in the ward.
Shotayo firmly denied ever issuing any threat, directly or indirectly, to Mr Owolabi or any other individual, describing such insinuations as completely unfounded and politically motivated.
He reiterated that he remains a law-abiding, peaceful, and responsible citizen who has never engaged in or encouraged any form of violence, adding that his political engagements have always been guided by due process, civility, and respect for party structures.
“My intervention was purely out of concern for the progress of our party in Iju Ward. I did not threaten anyone’s life, directly or indirectly. The video being circulated does not reflect the full context of my remarks.
“Members of the ward have repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the secretary’s absence from active party work and his failure to participate in key party activities, including the recently concluded primaries.
“I only echoed the concerns already raised by APC members in the ward, who have already lost confidence in the secretary and were calling for accountability within the party structure.
“At no point did I engage in violence or issue any threat. My comments were political, constructive, and aimed at strengthening our party, not destroying it.
“I am not afraid of anyone, and I have nothing to hide. I am even willing to invite security agencies to thoroughly investigate this matter so the truth can be established,” Shotayo said.
The ROMO Chairman stated that he is unafraid of any individual or group and expressed willingness to cooperate fully with security agencies on the matter, urging relevant authorities to investigate the source and circulation of the alleged manipulated video.
He called on party members and the general public to disregard what he described as a calculated attempt to tarnish his image, reaffirming his commitment to peace, unity, and the progress of the APC in Ogun State.
