By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
Former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, and his political disciples on Monday declared that their position on the nominee of the State in the newly constituted Board of the South West Development Commission (SWDC) aligned with that of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Dapo Abiodun on the matter.
Osoba and his political family who also declared their support for the state nominee, acknowledged with conviction that the President has the discretion, following due consultations, to zero-in on nominees who will drive his administration’s aspirations for the betterment of the country.
The elder statesman and his associates who were reacting through a statement by a former federal lawmaker, Hon. Adekunle Adeyemi, to media reports of an alleged “disquiet” in the political family, dismissed the misleading news items as “nothing but an illusion that is borne out of the hallucinations of the pretenders,” “impostors and impersonators.”
The Daily Crucible reports that a section of the media had in the said report claimed that there was a disquiet in Ogun State as Osoba camp rejects the SWDC nominees for non inclusion of the APC leader’s disciples – especially former Deputy Governor Segun Adesegun and ex – Commissioner for Finance, Durojaiye, in the President’s recent board appointments.
The purported camp which identified as ‘Osoba group,’ accused governor Dapo Abiodun and the President’s Chief of Staff and former Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, of being the brain behind the marginalization and sidelining of Osoba’s associates in the government of President Tinubu.
But in statement refuting the claims, Osoba and his true disciples disowned the group, saying “there’s no umbrella for Aremo Olusegun Osoba and his followers as ‘Osoba group.'”
The statement added that the true and sincerely genuine followers of the ex – governor belong to the ‘Osoba Political Family.’
The statement reads in full: “The attention of the elder statesman and former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osiba and his political disciples in the State have been drawn to a publication in some traditional Media giving the impression of a purported ‘disquiet’ in the political family of the two-time governor over the nominee of Ogun State in the newly constituted Board of the South West Development Commission.
“This is to emphatically put on record that the so-called ‘disquiet’ is nothing but an illusion that is borne out of the hallucinations of the pretenders who were signatories of the statement.
“The former governor and his genuine followers do not only support the Ofun State nominee on the Board,they believe,without reservation that the representative of the State on the Board will add value to the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“The Osoba Political Family is also of the conviction that Mr.President has the discretion,following due consultations, to zero-in on nominees who will drive the appropriate aspirations for the betterment of the Nigerian nation.
“The political group, for example, called attention to the nomination of another indigene of the Gateway State on the Board of the South-South Development Commission to buttress its point, the Osoba Political Family submitted that the position of the President is always known to be in pursuit of equity, fair play and justice in-line with his long cherished political trajectory.
“This is a principle that is, over the years, associated with President Tinubu stressing that the Osoba Political Family remains aligned to our governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun over the nomination of the State for the Board.
“An appeal is also being made to the Media to always do the due diligence by going extra miles over materials at its disposal with a view to ascertaining the authenticity of news items emanating from name-droppers and impostors or impersonators.
“It says, for example, there’s no umbrella for Aremo Olusegun Osoba and his followers as ‘Osoba group’ explaining that the true and sincerely genuine followers of the former governor belong to the Osoba Political Family.”
