…demands dep gov slot for associate
By Adebayo Olodan
With about eight weeks to the 2019 governorship election, the leadership crisis rocking the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) appeared to have degenerated further as one of the party’s gubernatorial aspirants, Prof Shuaib AbdulRaheem Oba reportedly dragged the gubernatorial candidate of APC, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq before the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the choice of the deputy governorship candidate of the party, National Pilot gathered, last night.
Prof Oba, who was one of the aggrieved governorship aspirants of the party after a highly disputed primary in the state that produced Abdulrazag, reportedly said he will only remain and be committed to the APC if its deputy governorship candidate in Kwara, Kayode Alabi is replaced with his associate; one Kayode Abogunrin.
The former vice chancellor of the University of Ilorin was said to have given this condition during a recent meeting with Tinubu and other party stalwarts in Abuja.
According a source who was privy to the issue, “Prof Oba had earlier met with former Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in Osogbo, where he gave the condition to remain in the APC.
“He insisted that Alabi, who is a friend to Isiaka Abdulrasaq, the younger brother of Abdulrahman, should be dropped and replaced with Abogunrin, who is a former council chairman of Ifelodun as the deputy governorship candidate of the party,” the source disclosed.
Speaking further, the source said Aregbesola, consequently put a call across to Tinubu who directed that all Kwara APC stakeholders, including the party’s governorship candidate should meet him in Abuja for a meeting on December 17.
“Prof Oba and his team left for Abuja on December 16 for the meeting which was attended by all stakeholders and the guber candidate.
“At the meeting, Tinubu, after listening to both sides directed that Kayode Alabi be dropped for Abogunrin, but this directive didn’t go down well with Abdulrasaq, especially Isiaka Abdulrazaq who insisted on Alabi as the running mate if the party expects him to finance the election and the court case,” he added.
In order to ensure his choice of deputy governorship candidate remains, the younger Abdulrazaq was said to have promised to use his Kanuri link, the Chief of Staff and the National Security Adviser to the President.
Meanwhile, another source close to Tinubu disclosed that the former Lagos State governor may accede to the Abdulrazaqs in his alleged bid to get close to Isiaka, who is the Group Executive Director Finance of the Nigeria National Petroleum Commission (NNPC).
The source added that should Tinubu ignore Prof Oba’s call, he may end up securing lucrative deals in NNPC – an opportunity he reportedly longed for.
However, when contacted last night on the telephone, the media aide to Tinubu, Alhaji Tunde Rahman said he will get back our reporter. He was however yet to do that before this paper went to bed last night.
Similarly Prof. Oba busied his calls when several calls were made to his mobile phone to get his reaction last night.
Despite the recent trip of aggrieved aspirants to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja over the matter that was facilitated by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohamed, Prof Oba rejected the purported endorsement of AbdulRazaq, adding that he was determined to reclaim his “stolen mandate”.
