By Mufa’u Balogun
Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun state has alleged that the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lanre Issa-Onlilu, is a fifth columnist whose loyalty resides with the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The governor said Issa-Onilu was a mole sent by the PDP to destroy the party.
He added that the spokesman tried to become a minister in the last years of President Goodluck Jonathan.
The APC spokesman had recently slammed Amosun and other disgruntled governors for complaining about the outcome of the APC primaries because they failed to impose their preferred candidate through back-door means.
In his response, Amosun warned of danger which APC faces in the hands of the party’s national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and few members of the National Working Committee (NWC), following their arbitrariness in the way they handled crises that attended the primaries of the party.
Governor Amosun, in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant (Media), Mr Opeyemi Soyombo said the imbroglio over the primaries of Ogun State had brought to the fore the danger APC faces in the hands of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and few members of the NWC like Issa Onilu who are in cahoots with him.
The statement added that members of APC in Ogun State have therefore called on the leaders of the party to call Comrade Oshiomhole to order before he crashes the chances of the party in the 2019 elections in jeopardy.
According to the statement, “for the avoidance of doubt, we state for the umpteenth time that there were no gubernatorial primaries in Ogun State other than the one held on October 2, that produced Hon. Adekunle Akinlade as governorship candidate.
“The attempt by Mr Onilu to confuse the issues is therefore belittling of someone holding a position of publicity secretary of a reputable political party.
“His attack on eminent members of the party as governors raises concerns about his agenda in the APC, if not that of a fifth columnist for the PDP under which he tried unsuccessfully to become a minister in the last years of President Goodluck Jonathan.
“The guidelines of the APC are clear on the roles of the state party executive and the NWC on the conduct of primaries.
The claim by Mr Onilu of a phoney court injunction restraining Ogun State Executive committee from participating in the conduct of the primaries is a fabrication to defraud the people of Ogun State. Out of time: APC set to dump Osunbor Appeal Panel report Which court gave the injunction and when? Who are the parties in the case? If at all there is, did the national secretariat bring it to the attention of the state executive committee of the party?
“Was the injunction given at a weekend or on the public holiday of October 1, because the national secretariat engaged the state executive of the party on the primaries all through the weekend leading to the October 2, primaries. “Besides, where did the primaries that produced Dapo Abiodun hold? The primaries was to hold on October 1.
“The NWC panel and all aspirants agreed at a stakeholders’ meeting on October 1, to hold the primaries on October 2, the state government extended the school holiday of October 1, by one day so that school premises that were the designated venues for the primaries, accepted by all aspirants, would be available. The venues were used for the primaries on October 2, and the schools resumed on October 3. So, where did the Dapo Abiodun primaries hold?”
