Why Ajimobi’s Ex-Aides Oppose His New APC Job

By Emmanuel Aziken

The emergence of Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the immediate past governor of Oyo State as the deputy national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC surprisingly received some of the strongest opposition from his native Oyo State.

Ajimobi emerged as the Deputy National Chairman of the APC following the exit of Otunba Niyi Adebayo who was appointed as a minister.

The initial resistance to Ajimobi came from Ekiti State where activists alleged that since Adebayo was from Ekiti that his replacement according to convention should come from Ekiti.

Besides, there were also insinuations that Ajimobi being an ally of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu could become biased towards Tinubu in the run up to the 2023 presidential election. One of Tinubu’s strongest potential challengers is expected to be Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State.

However, while the challenge from Ekiti was simmering, political stalwarts from Oyo State launched salvos against Ajimobi strongly resisting his nomination.

Among those who reportedly opposed Ajimobi’s nomination as deputy national chairman of the APC were Chief Moses Adeyemo, the deputy governor in his administration,  Alhaji Akin Olajide, his former SSG, Sen. Adesoji Akanbi and his former aide Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle, among others.

Why those who served in his administration opposed his ascendancy was an issue for some.

A source privy to the development told GreenWhiteGreen that many of those opposing Ajimobi’s political ascendancy worked against him in his 2019 Senate bid and they were afraid that appointing the former governor as deputy national chairman would not be to their best interest as he could use his new position for revenge.

“That is the truth it is self-interest. Many of those who worked against him in his 2019 Senate bid and the governorship election were his aides and they feared that the former governor could use his new position to hit back at them,” the source said.

Even more, GreenWhiteGreen gathered that the machine of the immediate past minister of communication, Adebayo Shittu was also strongly against the former governor’s aspiration.

Ajimobi and Shittu fought a war that led to the division of the party ahead of the 2019 General Election.

Since his emergence, Ajimobi has stretched out the hand of reconciliation and appointed his predecessor as governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala to lead a reconciliation team to unify the party.

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