11th August, 2020
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Mr Murphy Adigun-Hammed, has expressed confidence in the ability of former Gov. Adebayo Alao-Akala to deliver on his assignment as the party’s reconciliation committee chairman in the state.
Adigun-Hammed, a former Chief Whip in Oyo State House of Assembly, made the assertion in a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen in Ibadan.
Adigun-Hammed was reacting to a statement credited to Mr Adebayo Shittu, a former Minister of Communications, that said Alao-Akala was not qualified to head the reconciliation committee.
Shittu had reportedly made the statement in an interview published by some national dailies.
“His Excellency, Alao- Akala, is ably qualified and has the capacity to deliver on what his late brother and compatriot, former Gov. Abiola Ajimobi, started before he died.
“And in honour of the latter, I implore our elder brother, Shittu, as well as every member of the party to embrace and support Alao-Akala in this crucial assignment.
“The success or God forbids if otherwise, determines the survival or extinction of our great party,” the APC chieftain said.
Adigun-Hammed said that Shittu was not qualified to speak on behalf of APC Unity Forum in the state, saying he had never been a front liner in the forum.
“Shittu is a lone ranger on this and probably with a few who after Gov. Abiola Ajimobi’s exit had assumed the oxygen of their political existence and relevance in Oyo State politics had expired.
“He has never been a front liner in the Unity Forum, So he is not qualified to speak on behalf of the forum,” he said.
The former chief whip said he would personally not spare anyone planning to truncate or disrupt the reconciliation and repositioning efforts of the party in the state.
He called on those truly interested in the success of the party to raise their voices against anyone or group whose statements, reactions or utterances could jeopardise the party’s progress.
According to him, statements, reactions or utterances that will have debilitating impact and damaging effects on the collective efforts to reposition the party should be rejected.
Adigun-Hammed, who said he was not an ally of Alao-Akala, recalled that he was opportuned to serve with him as an opposition member in the state House of Assembly.
“Anyone who could not raise a voice against Alao-Akala’s appointment by Ajimobi while he was alive does not have moral standing to reject his leadership and control of the party now,” he said.