… Regrets Nigerians have misconstrued meeting with APC
Former governor of Ogun State, Chief
Olusegun Osoba yesterday in
Abeokuta, the state capital opened up
on his return to the All Progressives
Congress (APC).
He disclosed how the Alake of
Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu and
Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru
Kayode Adetona mounted pressure on
him to return to the progressives fold.
Osoba spoke against the backdrop of a
meeting held in his Ikoyi, Lagos
residence with the leaders and some
governors of the ruling APC last
Sunday, which he regretted had been
misconstrued by Nigerians.
According to Osoba, contrary to some
media reports, the APC national
leaders and governors led by Asiwaju
Bola Tinubu only came to plead with
him to return to the party’s fold.
Aside from Tinubu, others in
attendance at the meeting were the
Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola
Ajimobi; Governor of Lagos State, Mr.
Akinwunmi Ambode who was
represented by his deputy, Mrs.
Oluranti Adebule and former Governor
of Ekiti State, Otunba Niyi Adebayo.
Others included former interim
National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi
Akande; APC National Vice Chairman,
South West, Chief Pius Akinyelure and
Senator Gbenga Obadara and ex–deputy governor, Prince Segun
Adesegun.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun, his deputy,
Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga and APC
leaders in Osoba’s home state of Ogun
did not attend the meeting and no
explanation was given for their
absence.
The former governor spoke during the
public presentation and launch of a
book entitled, “Alake of Egbaland: The
Succession Dynamics,” written by
Chief Alani Bankole, the father of the
former speaker of the House of
Representatives, Dimeji Bankole
The Aremo Awujale and the Akinrogun
of Egbaland stressed that he neither
convened nor hosted such meeting of
the party leaders in his house as being
bandied around.
“There are other things that I would
say about Alake but not here because
the story of what happened on Sunday
when the entire APC came to plead
with me, people are making mistake
that I hosted South West meeting.
They came to plead with me and the
pleading had been on; and the role of
Alake and Awujale, this is not the
occasion to say it because this is not a
political gathering. So, I want to
thank Kabiyesi for what happened on
Sunday; he has always been with me
and God will always be with you,
Kabiyesi. By the grace of God,
Egbaland will continue to flourish,” he
said.
Osoba after the book launch where he
donated half a million Naira, said he
had only taken sometime off from the
party and has now returned to its
fold.
His words: “I’m a founding father of
APC if I take a leave of absence from
my own house, would I not return to
my father’s house? I’m back to my
father’s house,” he said.
The former governor described
Bankole as a political juggernaut with
whom he shared a lot of closeness
inspite of the differences in their
political leanings.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the
occassion,Chief Olatunde Abudu,
described the 5-chapter 127-page
book as a “customary masterpiece on
the making of Alake of Egbaland.”
Abudu, a foremost industrialist and
educationist added that the book had
given insight into the selection and
final ascension of Oba Gbadebo to the
throne of the Alake.
Professor Olukayode Oyesiku who
reviewed the book noted that it was
devoid of technical jargons and that it
showed indepth understanding and
analysis of the issues surrounding
royal succession in Egbaland.
Daily Sun
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