By Mumini AbdulKareem
The last may not have been heard about the controversial gubernatorial primaries of the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as one of the leading governorship aspirants of the party in the state, Prof Shuaib AbdulRaheem Oba has insisted on Sunday that he won the primaries.
Oba’s position came few days after all the gubernatorial aspirants in the state and the candidate of the party, Alhaji AbdurRahman AbdulRazaq met with the President.
He spoke with journalists on Sunday at the Ilorin International Airport shortly after his arrival to the state.
Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari had given the APC stakeholders in the state marching order to deliver Kwara to the party during next year’s general elections.
While addressing his supporters at the Ilorin International Airport on his arrival from Abuja, the former Chairman of the Federal Character Commission clarified that the President did not ask them to support AbdulRasaq who the parry’s National Working Committee (NWC) has declared as the party’s governorship candidate in Kwara.
Instead, he said President Buhari only told them during their meeting at the presidential villa, Abuja, to support APC to take over Kwara during next year’s elections.
He said he won in nine out of the 16 local government areas in the state and scored overall majority votes in the primary.
“When we met with President Muhammadu Buhari, we were not told to support any particular candidate. We were appealed to, to support the party and not any individual.
”I’m very sure that justice and fairness would be done at end of the amendment process. I won convincingly in nine out of the 16 local government areas in the state and it is a well known fact to everyone”, he submitted.
On his reported decision to quit the party, the former Vice chancellor of the University of Ilorin noted that “I will remain in APC no matter whom the party flag is given to. APC remain the only and best alternative for the people of this nation. I will not leave APC no matter the circumstance(s).
“What we are facing now is just a mere misunderstanding and as soon as it is put to rest, we shall all come together in unison in order to ensure the victory of the party in the forthcoming general elections”.
Prof Oba had contacted the gubernatorial aspirants of the Labour Party, Comrade Issa Aremu at the height of the crisis of the party arising from the fallout of the governorship primary for possible partnership.
He also rejected the declaration of Abdurazaq by the party’s NWC, adding that he will continue to fight to reclaim the mandate freely given to him by the people of the state who voted for him.
