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Tag: Adebayo Shittu

  • FG plans two additional Satellites to boost NIGCOMSAT-2

    …As telecom subscribers hit 162,05 million 

    The Federal Government is set to establish two additional satellites to support the Nigeria Communication Satellite  system (NIGCOMSAT) to complement the existing NIGCOMSAT- 2.

    Minister for Communication, Dr.  Adebayo Shittu, who disclosed this on Thursday at the 6th regular meeting of the National Council on Communication Technology (NCCT),  in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, said this is to further  boost the Telecommunications industry.

    Shittu added that the Federal Government is committed to using Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) as a tool to diversify the nation’s economy.

    According to him, the economic recovery and massive employment generation for the teeming youths could be achieved faster using ICT

    Speaking on this year’s theme: “Leveraging ICT as a vehicle for economic recovery and growth, “the Minister revealed that the country’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has increased from $32 billion in 2015 to $40 billion in 2018.

    Shittu also disclosed that the telecommunications industry has improved with active telecom subscribers increasing from 148,70million in 2015 to 162,05 million as at September, 2018.

    Declaring open the meeting, Governor Ibikunle Amosun said the state is committed to sustaining an ICT driven environment, adding that he would  always accord it a significant role in his administration.

    Amosun said his government would continue to work to channel the energy of youths into technology, and harness it as weapon of mass development.

    Read Also: Nigeria to launch two satellites soon – NIGCOMSAT

    The Governor expressed worry over the unethical and unprofessional use of ICT to create falsehood and disseminate same on the social media, warning that if left unchecked, it could spell doom for a nation.

    He urged the government, experts in ICT and appropriate agencies to deliberate on measures to check the culture of using ICT and social media to cause disaffection, mislead  and unnecessarily heat up the polity.

    This, he said, would help the nation, especially now that the it is approaching the electioneering year.

    In his goodwill message, Post Master General of the Federation,  Bisi Adegbuyi, stressed the need for leveraging on technology and embracing its importance to solve human and national challenges.

  • FG promises better quality telecommunications services

    The Federal Government says efforts are ongoing to have extra satellites to support the present Nigeria Communication Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) to improve quantum in the telecommunications industry.

    Dr Adebayo Shittu, the Minister of Communication, spoke on Thursday at the Sixth Regular Meeting of the National Council on Communication Technology in Abeokuta, Ogun.

    Shittu said the major reason for the additional communication satellites was to reach areas that could not easily be covered by terrestrial fiber.

    He said there was a positive increase in the number of active telecommunication subscribers with an increase from 148.70 million in August 2015 to 162.05 million as at September 2018.

    According to the minister, this represent an increase of seven per cent.

    Shittu revealed that the country’s Foreign Direct Investment in telecommunication had increased from 32 billion dollars in 2015 to 40 billion dollars in 2018.

    The minister said that the percentage of internet penetration had reached a milestone of 48.44 per cent, making Nigeria second only to South Africa in the whole of Africa.

    Read Also: Federal Government and NOUN law graduates

     

    He reiterated the Federal Government’s resolve to use ICT as a way of economic diversification which would help in the nation’s economic recovery and massive employment generation for the teeming youths.

    The minister spoke on the theme: “Leveraging on ICT as Veritable Vehicle for Economic Recovery and Growth.”

    He said that Information Communication Technology (ICT) had really changed the way people communicate, learn and conduct business.

    “The National Council on Communication Technology (NCCT) is the highest Governmental policy advisory body in the ICT sector.

    “The NCCT meeting enhances national intergovernmental coordination in the ICT sector and provides platform for networking and experiences sharing toward harmonised sector development,” he said.

    The minister explained that the government had worked assiduously at improving the strategic ecosystem framework of the ICT sector through the development of policy instruments including the Nigeria ICT Roadmap and the National Addressing Policy.

    He reiterated that government would continue to keep abreast of developments in the area of technology and its extensive influence and application to diverse sectors in Nigeria.

    In his remarks, Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, while declaring open the meeting, said that the state was committed to sustaining an ICT driven environment, adding that it would always play significant role in his administration.

    Amosun said that his government would continue to work to channel the energy of youths into technology, calling on participants to deliberate and come out with initiatives that would make ICT to serve as weapon of mass development.

    The governor urged the council to come up with a control mechanism to checkmate and curb illegal usage of social media platforms.

    Amosun said that it would help the country, especially now that the nation was approaching the electioneering year.

    NAN

  • ‘Use social media responsibly’

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa has called for responsible use of Social Media by Nigerians especially as the general election draws closer in the country.

    The former House of Representatives member offered the advice at the second edition of the Nigerian social media summit held in Abuja recently.

    Dabiri who was represented by her Special Assistant on Media, Mr Abdurahman Balogun said Nigerians should be able to make use of social media in a responsible way.

    The second edition of the summit was themed: Social Media as a tool for Social Governance, National Unity and Electoral Participation.

    Dabiri said Nigerians need to use social media to widen their scope as social media is beyond chatting.

    “Some people don’t know social media can be used as a source of living rather frivolous talks, ” she noted.

    She also cited the emerging importance of social media for electoral purposes , stating that the new media has continued to have influence on electoral matters in the country

    “Over the years ,we see results of election on social media even before the electoral body announces it, this has caused us lot of danger in the country due to overheating of polity and other issue, this needs to be watched”

    Also speaking at the event, the Chief Press Secretary of the Niger State, Mr Jibrin Ndace said social media should be a tool for national unity and should be used wisely.

    “The orientation must be changed towards social media. Politicians make use of social media during their campaigns because they understand the importance, so likewise Nigerians should orientated on what social media is and it is not, reaching out to the grassroots is very important , preaching stability is also important”

    Jibrin Ndace said that the choice of political party should not be a reason for disparity in the country

    “Nigerians should wake up, let’s move from the way we abuse ourselves on social media and move into the reality of making use of social media even with our peculiar differences”

    Read Also: Social media and national security

    “Ever since I became the Chief Press Secretary, Niger state has always been part of the best state which has never left any project unturned and pays our workers salary up till date” he added

    Panelists at the summit, Lukmon Fasasi(Founder ,Nigerian Internet Business conference), Jafaar Zubair(Director of Operations,Intellect9ja) , Gidado Shuaib (International Media expert and Editor in Chief news digest) also shared their thoughts on the use of social media.

    They said that the use of social media remains pivotal in the country while stating that barring its use will be difficult in Nigeria.

    The summit was chaired by the Minister for Communication, Barr Adebayo Shittu, .

    The organizers of the summit also unveiled plans to start a national digital and social media training program aimed at teaching Nigerians positive use of the social media for more economical benefits and more responsible use.

    The summit had participants from all over the country with participation from several other countries through social media platforms.

  • Court grants Shittu’s prayer to serve NYSC processes

    The Federal High Court in Ibadan, on Thursday, granted the application of the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, to serve originating summons on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Abuja.

    The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Shitts had in the last few weeks been confronted with criticisms for not observing the mandatory one-year national youth service.

    Justice P.I. Ajoku ruled that the service of the originating summons be served on the respondents through the bailiffs of the court.

    “The service of the plaintiff’s processes on the first, third and fourth defendants who are in Abuja shall be effected by the bailiffs of this honourable court,” the judge ruled.

    The judge, however, adjourned the case till Nov. 19 for report of service.

    The suit has the Director-General, NYSC; the State Coordinator, NYSC; the NYSC and the Attorney-General of the Federation as the first, second, third and fourth defendants respectively.

    Earlier, Mr Muktar Aderogba, counsel to the plaintiff, prayed the court to issue and serve the originating summons and the accompanying processes in the suit on the address of NYSC office in Abuja.

    Read Also: UEFA bans Rubin Kazan from European competition

    Aderogba added that he relied on the 12-paragraph affidavit and the written address supplied in support of his application.

    The minister is seeking the order of the court to direct the first three defendants to issue him with a certificate of national service.

    This, according to his originating summons, is based on having served the nation as a member of the House of Assembly of Oyo State between 1979 and 1983.

    Alternatively, he is praying the court to grant an order to direct the first three defendants to issue him with a certificate of exemption from the NYSC.

    This, he said, was again based on having served in an alternative capacity as a member of the Oyo state house of assembly.

  • NYSC: Presidency considers Shittu’s fate

    Ahead of the decision of the Presidency on his fate, Minister of Communications Adebayo Shittu has filed an action at the Federal High Court, Abuja against the All Progressives Congress(APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission( INEC) on the row over his non-participation in the National Youth Service Scheme( NYSC).

    He said it was wrong for APC to disqualify him from the governorship primary election in Oyo State for not presenting NYSC discharge certificate.

    He asked the court to declare  that the submission/presentation of NYSC Discharge Certificate to APC is not part of the requirements for him to participate in the primary election for Nomination of Governorship candidate of the party in Oyo State for the 2019 General Election.

    He insisted that he went through the screening and security checks and was certified fit and qualified to be appointed as a minister.

    He said participation in NYSC Scheme is not a condition precedent to be satisfied before he was appointed a minister.

    He faulted the NYSC for not mobilising him for the scheme.

    The Presidency iss said to be weighing options on Shittu’s fate.

    The options are directing him to step down as a minister, a soft-landing of resignation and allowing his court case to run its full course.

    Shittu has opted to fight his legal battle till the end.

    In the writ by his counsel, Mr. A.U. Mustapha( SAN), the embattled minister asked the court to determine five issues. They are:

    *”whether by the provision of Section 2(1) of the National Youth Service Corps Decree No. 24 of 1973 and/or any other provision of the Decree being the law in force as at 1978 when the Plaintiff graduated at the University of Ile-Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) he was under any legal obligation to have warranted the plaintiff’s participation in the National Youth Service Corps in the absence of a call-up instrument duly served on the Plaintiff by the National Youth Service Corps.

    *”whether, by the combined reading of Sections 176-183 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria [as Amended] and Article 20(iii) & (iv) of the Constitution of the All Progressive Congress; it is a condition that the gubernatorial aspirant of the 1st Defendant (APC) and/or any political party for that matter in Nigeria must present the National Youth Service Corps Discharge/Exemption Certificate;

    *”Whether it is ultra vires the powers of the 1st defendant to have disqualified the plaintiff from participating in its primary election for nomination of the governorship candidate of the 1st defendant in Oyo State for the 2019 General Election on the ground that the plaintiff does not possess National Youth Service Corps Discharge/Exemption Certificate;

    *”Whether it does not amount to denial of fair hearing as enshrined in Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution of as amended for the 1st defendant to have purportedly disqualified the Plaintiff from contesting for governorship election in Oyo State under the platform of the 1st defendant without availing the Plaintiff an opportunity to be heard on the allegations that the plaintiff avoided the National Youth Service Scheme; and

    *”whether by the combined reading of the provisions of Sections 147(5), 65(1)(b) & (2), 66 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 12 of the National Youth Service Corps Act, Cap N84 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, the plaintiff was qualified to have been appointed as a Minister capable of holding the office, and/or any other governmental office at any level notwithstanding the fact that he did not participate in the National Youth Service Corps Scheme.”

    In an affidavit which he personally sworn to, the 65-year old minister said: “I was liable but not obligated to have participated in the National Youth Service Corps Scheme both at the time I graduated from the said University and as at the time I was called to the Nigerian Bar.

    “ I know as a fact that no “call-up instrument” was served on me as at 1978 when I graduated from the said University by the National Youth Service Corps to have warranted my participation in the scheme.

    “I know as a fact that I was also not served any Notice or notified in any manner to proceed to participate in the National Youth Service Corps Scheme.

    “I know as a fact that participation in the National Youth Service Corps programme is not one of the requirements to be satisfied under the 1st Defendant’s constitution to enable me participate in the primary election for Nominating the party flag bearer for the office of Governor of Oyo State in the 2019 General Election. A copy of the Constitution of the 1st Defendant is hereby attached and marked as “Exhibit SHITTU 8”.

    “I also know as a fact that under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended) it is not a requirement for me to have participated in National Youth Service Corps Scheme to be eligible for participation in the 1st Defendant’s primary election for Nomination of its flag bearer in Oyo State for the 2019 General election.

    “ I know also as a fact that the Electoral Act 2010 [as Amended] did not make participation in the National Youth Service Corps Scheme a condition precedent for contesting any elective office whatsoever.

    “I know also that participation in NYSC Scheme is not one of the requirements to enable me take part in primary election for Nomination of the 1st Defendant’s flag bearer for the office of Governor of Oyo State in the 2019 General election.”

     

     

     

  • Shittu attends FEC meeting

    The Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu was among cabinet members who attended the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday.

    The meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari started around 11.08a.m at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    A fortnight ago, Shittu and the immediate past Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, were disqualified from participating in the Oyo and Taraba states governorship primary elections, respectively, under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    While Shittu was disqualified for not taking part in the compulsory one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, Alhassan was disqualified over issues of loyalty to APC.

    Shittu also failed to present any NYSC exemption certificate to the APC screening committee.

    While disqualifying him, the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, had stated: “He (Shittu) admitted that he did not do the mandatory NYSC as provided for under the law and in his own judgment, his being a member of the House of Assembly in the state and now as a Minister of the Federal Republic, that these were enough sacrifices. But for us as a party we know that NYSC is a mandatory scheme.

    “It is not something you may elect to do or abstain from doing and my understanding of the NYSC Act is that no employer of labour is permitted to employ anyone who graduated under 30 years and who did not obtain an exemption for reasons as provided for in the NYSC Act.

    “So, for us, not participating in the NYSC raises very serious moral issue as well as legal issue.

    Read Also: Buhari receives 1042-pages achievement compendium at FEC

    “After interviewing him, we were convinced that….for our party, there are clear lessons we need to learn from our recent past when people…anyway, we were convinced that if he did not do NYSC, that for us, was enough to disqualify him and we had to find the courage to do so.

    While Alhassan had immediately resigned from the cabinet, Shittu arrived for the first FEC meeting after his disqualification around 10.56a.m.

    He exchanged pleasantries with his colleagues before taking his seat.

    President Buhari called for rendition of the opening National anthem at the FEC meeting around 11.08a.m

    Opening Muslims prayer was said by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed , while the Christian prayer was offered by the Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu

    Recall that the immediate past Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, had resigned from the cabinet due to fake NYSC exemption certificate presented to get the job.

    Her ignorance of the status of the certificate she had presented could not save her from losing her seat in the cabinet.

  • 2019: Buhari’s endorsement celebration of success – Shittu

    Mr Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communications, has described the just-concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) National Presidential Convention as a celebration of success of President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential election.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 14, 842, 072 members of the APC had, at the convention in Abuja, affirmed President Buhari as the standard-bearer of the party for the 2019 presidential poll.

    Shittu, a legal practitioner, in an interview with NAN said the occasion was a representation of festival of triumph.

    “I see this really more as a festival of success and triumph for the presidential candidate of our party, Muhammadu Buhari.

    “Undoubtedly, he has distinguished himself as one Nigerian leader who is passionate about development of the grassroots and about incorruptibility.

    The minister said Buhari “has remained the glue that brings together the party itself  in spite all the disparaged tendencies within the party”.

     

    Read also:Buhari to Nigerians: I will not let you down

     

    “I am happy and I congratulate myself that I belong to this one party which has the quality of leadership of Mr President’’.

    “As an insider, I can say that I have seen it all and I can conscientiously say that on the three points of this government’s campaign; on issue of fighting corruption, fighting insurgency and repairing the economy.

    “ Mr President has scored more than 70 per cent without doubt because on each of these agenda, we can see visible results across board.

    “On the issue of corruption, through the introduction of Single Treasury Account (TSA), a lot of government money is being protected.

    “This government also introduced the whistle blowing policy through which so much money has been recovered, among others,” he added.

    He said the diversification of the economy, the NPower Programme to mention but a few, had helped to create more than 8 million jobs in the country

  • As Shittu, Mama Taraba get the axe

    IN a move widely adjudged a turning point in the All Progressives Congress (APC), administrative politics, the ruling party disqualified two ministers serving in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet from vying for their states’ governorship seats. The duo include Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu from Oyo State and his counterpart in the Women Affairs Ministry, Senator Aisha Alhassan, from Taraba State.

    Shittu and Alhassan were screened out by the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) at a time the party grappled with defections among its ranks and files to rival parties.      Responding to insinuations that the duo were arbitrarily screened out, the party’s National Chairman and head of its NWC, Adams Oshiomhole, argued that Shittu was disqualified  because it was discovered that he avoided the compulsory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme after graduation.

    Alhassan, on the other hand, was disqualified from contesting for Taraba governorship seat due to concerns regarding her loyalty to the party. The NWC, however, has no cause to rue its decision given that Alhassan resigned her ministerial appointment and also defected from the APC to the United Democratic Party (UDP), soon after her disqualification.

    Speaking at a press conference, in Abuja, on Friday, September 28, Oshiomhole said that the party’s decision to disqualify Shittu and Alhassan was in order to protect the APC’s core values.

    Oshiomhole said the party’s governorship screening committee was not convinced with explanations offered by Shittu that his service as a lawmaker in the Oyo State House of Assembly and minister was equivalent to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

    According to him, Nigeria’s laws are clear on the issue. However, he said the Minister of Women Affairs, Alhassan, was disqualified because the party was not convinced about her loyalty.

    Oshiomhole said “As for the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, she has issues that have to do with party loyalty. Our constitution is clear and it dictates that to contest elections or even hold office in the APC, you must be loyal to the party in every material concern.

    “From all she had said in the past and even her comments and general attitude during the screening, the NWC reviewed everything taken together and we arrived at the conclusion that she does not possess the level of loyalty that the APC requires for her to contest elections on our platform.

    “We made it clear when the defections happened that the APC may well benefit from these defections if it helps us to be more critical in terms of whom we give platform to contest elections and that there are core values that binds the APC together and they are non-negotiable.

    “The Electoral Act and the APC constitution forbid anyone from being a member of more than one political party at a time. You cannot be a member of APC and be a card carrying member of another party.

    “But when you have a situation where it would appear, based on what you know and based on what I know, that someone is probably APC in the day time, maybe for the purpose of retaining certain offices and they are PDP at heart. Or if they are not PDP at heart, they are actually and simply a follower of a one-man permanent presidential candidate…then we have the right to ask ourselves if these attitudes and qualities are characteristics of an ideal member of APC,” he said.

    There is no gainsaying that Shittu and Alhassan didn’t envisage their ordeal. The duo, like several other aspirants, dreamed of clinching their party’s ticket to vie for their states’ governorship seats until the dismal news of their disqualification.

    Earlier, an upbeat Shittu, in an interview, reportedly stated that he enjoyed the goodwill and support of large segments of the electorate. The former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of Oyo State allegedly urged  the APC to forget about its chances in the state if he is denied the governorship ticket of the party.

    The ministers’ problems with the APC, however, started before screening commenced for the party’s aspirants. While Shittu’s travails erupted in the wake of his NYSC certificate saga, Alhassan stirred the stirred the hornet’s nest when she granted a media interview, where she pledged her unflinching loyalty to Atiku Abubakar rather than her incumbent boss, President Buhari.

    Pundits aver that Alhassan’s her public show of support for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’ s presidential ambition last year might have earned her a spot in the black book of the ruling party.

    Thus when APC chairman, Oshiomhole, revealed plans to instill discipline among membership of the party and ensure that the party is supreme, on assumption of office, he certainly wasn’t set on a wild goose chase.

    The party’s disqualification of chieftains like Shittu and Alhassan would have been unthinkable in the past but they were excluded for reasons firmly anchored in APC’s constitution and rules, according to the party’s national chairman.

  • I am not alone in ‘NYSC skipping’, says Shittu

    …appeals disqualification from Oyo APC governorship race

     

    The Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, disclosed on Tuesday that he has appealed his disqualification from the Oyo State governorship race by the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

    The minister, who obtained a leave from his ministerial service to pursue his governorship ambition last month, also said he was not alone in the skipping of the compulsory National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

    He said there are others who are seeking elective positions without having participated in the scheme. But he did not name them.

    Shittu said the party was wrongly advised to disqualify him, stressing that the requirements for contesting as governor are clearly stated in the Nigerian constitution. He urged the party to reverse itself to prevent an alleged imminent collapse of APC in the state.

    He expressed the belief that Governor Ajimobi and his supporters may be those behind his travails.

    Entitled: “This time would pass,” the statement read: “It is no longer news that I, Barrister Adebayo Shittu was purportedly disqualified from participating in Sunday’s governorship primary of our great party, the All Progressives Congress, APC in Oyo State on the baseless allegation of not possessing NYSC certificate.

    “Although, I also received the news, like any other person, with shock and disbelief having successfully gone through the screening process by the Party’s Gubernatorial Screening Committee. The intent of the cowards behind the saga is becoming clearer by the day.

    “May I appeal to supporters and well wishers across Oyo State and beyond – many of whom have bombarded my mobile lines with calls and text messages – to remain calm and be loyal to our great party as we resolve the issue politically.

    “Let me assure you that the All Progressives Congress which I took part in writing its constitution, is a party built on the rule of law, justice and fairness. This I believe the NWC would uphold at all times.

    “On the issue of NYSC, I had made my position known and there’s no need to repeat myself but I wish to further add that the position of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) is unambiguous on the qualification for participating in governorship election.

    “ I want to believe that the NWC was wrongly advised to disqualify me. I do not want to agree that a script is being acted, if at all, it is poorly written.

    “On this note, I have forwarded an appeal for the NWC to review and reconsider the decision not to clear me. It is my prayer and hope that this appeal process would afford our leaders the rare opportunity to salvage our party from the potentially destructive precipice into which APC in Oyo State is being pushed by the political shenanigans of Governor Abiola Ajimobi and his cohorts, many of whom have also never served in the NYSC scheme but are also seeking new elective positions.

    “I, once again, seek your understanding, calmness and loyalty to the party.”

  • Ajimobi tackles Akala over boycott of Oyo APC governorship primary

    Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, has described as ‘unsubstantiated’ the allegation by his predecessor and a governorship aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adebayo Alao-Akala, that he has chosen to impose Mr Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe in today’s (Sunday) primary.

    Eight aspirants are jostling to succeed Ajimobi in the party.

    In a statement by his media aide, Jeremiah Akande on Saturday, Alao-Akala announced his boycott of the election and directed his supporters to do the same.

    The primary is scheduled to hold on Sunday in Ibadan, the state capital.

    Alao-Akala, in the statement, alleged that Ajimobi had sent words round to coerce and intimidate delegates into voting for Tegbe today.

    He, therefore, called on the national leadership of the party to come to the rescue of the party which he said was heading towards collapse.

    The statement read in part: “His Excellency, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, a true party man and committed loyalist to any cause he believes in, wishes to state categorically that he is not a push-over in the game of politics and as a well-grounded and groomed politician who has occupied the number one seat of a politically conscious state as Oyo State will not be part of any move or attempt to subvert the true will and wish of the people by the selfish interest of an Individual.\

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    “The general public should also note that Gov. Abiola Ajimobi has clandestinely offered Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala the ministerial slot of Oyo State in an attempt to pitch him against Barr. Adebayo Shittu, an offer he has rejected in its entirety as he is not one to be tailored or shown the way round in the game of politics.”

    But Ajimobi’s spokesman, Mr Bolaji Tunji, described the allegation as unsubstantiated, stressing that the governor has thoroughly demonstrated that he has no preference for any aspirant. Tunji reminded Alao-Akala, who he described as a respected politicians and who has played a good role in fostering unity in the party, that Ajimobi once met the aspirants and advised them to pick a few among them that will go into the primary.

    Tunji, who is the Special Adviser to Governor Ajimobi on Communication and Strategy, explained that the governor has emphasized severally at the meeting that he has not anointed any of them. He added that the aspirants, who were originally up to 26, did not get back to the governor on those they have chosen to participate in the primary.

    Tunji said it is not uncommon for aspirants to come up with excuses and unsubstantiated allegations when it becomes clear to them that they may not win an election.