With Mumini Abdulkareem
The submission of nominees’ list for the appointment of Commissioners and Special advisers in Ilorin West allegedly took another dimension, last night, following directive from the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for new faces, National Pilot has learnt.
The decision of the party’s leadership is allegedly coming on the heels of high wired politics and horse trading that has characterised the issue in Ilorin West.
The APC for the second time within a week, last month, rejected the nominees’ list sent by the party caucus from the council over alleged recycling of those earlier dropped by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed in defiance to the directive.
Former commissioners for Justice and Attorney-General, Barr. Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), Women Affairs, Hajia Ayinke Saka and their Sport and Youth Development counterpart, Kale Ayo occupied the three commissioner slots in the dissolved cabinet representing Ajikobi, Alanamu and Magaji Ngeri constituencies.
Only Ilorin West has more than one slot for commissioner in the state aside several Special Assistants and Advisers.
According to a top source from the local government, last night, who confided in this medium because of the sensitivity of the issue, there is presently another round of nomination across the three constituencies in line with the directive of the party.
The source, who confirmed that the stakeholders has finally toed the party’s line to select fresh nominees that have not held any position before for the commissioner list, adding that the decision has been of concern to some top party members who wanted a blend of experience reflected on the list.
“After the second rejection of our list in Ilorin West, all the constituencies involved have started to compile names of fresh faces that have not held any position before, as commissioner nominees.
“We were directed to submit three names each, including a youth, a female and a male but some of the party members are worried whether such arrangement will not boomerang in the long run, especially coming very close to the 2019 governorship election.
“Initially, the rejected list was returned for the second time over alleged recycling and it caused some disquiet within constituencies concerned. We tried to make the leadership of the party see reasons we took such decision but since it refused to accept it, we have no choice than to comb our constituencies for those that have not previously been favoured with any appointment” the source noted.
Meanwhile, in Offa, it was gathered that the council finally submitted names of two nominees against the three requested by the party.
A source who spoke on the issue last night explained that the decision of the council was occasioned by the need to have a balanced nominees’ list to represent the two constituencies in Offa, Ojomu/Balogun and Essa/Sawo/Igbodun.
The two nominees are Nike Taibat Ayinde described as a very popular and influential party member and former chairman of the council, Segun Olanipekun described as “the candidate to beat”.
But the party, when contacted on when the deadline for submission of nominees’ list will lapse, the Publicity Secretary, Suleiman Buhari said submission have closed since Friday, adding that all the local government have submitted their lists.
Recall that APC had rejected the list of nominees initially sent by the party caucuses across the councils over alleged recycling.
