I never lobbied for APC’s appointment — Ajimobi

Former Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has said that he never lobbied for his new position as the deputy national chairman (south) of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Rather, he said it was the party that found him worthy.

With his appointment, Ajimobi is to replace the former governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Niyi Adebayo who is now the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Investment.

However, reacting to those antagonising his appointment, the former governor in a statement by his special adviser on media, Bolaji Tunji, on Thursday, said, the appointment came because the party at the highest level believed he has something to offer the party, the Southwest and the nation.

According to him, Ajimobi had distinguished himself as a technocrat, whose distinguished career took him to the highest level of his professional career in an international organisation.

The statement added: “He has also distinguished himself as a noteworthy politician who was governor of Oyo State on two consecutive, unprecedented terms. And as Governor, the people of Oyo State have agreed that his records of achievements are unassailable and also unprecedented.

“So if his party finds him worthy for that position so be it. As a Statesman and the Deputy Chairman (South) of his party, APC, he has no quarrel with anyone. People are bound to raise one concern or the other, but we should always disagree to agree. However, we should always set the records straight on matters like this.

“The position of Deputy National Chairman ( South) is a party position zoned to the South made up of the SouthWest, South East and the South-South. The South then gave the slot to the Southwest.

At the time, all the South West States were under the control of the APC except Ekiti state, hence the party elders and caucus gave it to Ekiti at the time in order to strengthen the party in Ekiti and ensure that the State had a coordinator and presence at the party’s highest level of decision making.

“Recall, that a similar thing happened in the north, the position of Secretary was zoned to the northeast and Yobe State had the slot, fortuitously the Secretary of the party emerged the Governor of the State.

If we go by Ekiti State’s argument one would then say the replacement should come from Ekiti, but the party elders in their wisdom still retained it in the North East but micro-zoned it to Bornu State.

“In any case, Ekiti has a right to agitate to retain the seat, we should, however, see ourselves as a broom that achieves when it is together. We are all one”.