As events are unfolding towards the October 2020 gubernatorial election in Ondo State, a foremost youth interest group within the ruling APC, the Unity Group Foot Soldiers, has leaked to the press the secret plan of the leadership of the leading interest group within the Party, the Unity Group to announce a consensus aspirant today.
The group has issued a strong warning to the leadership of the group over its proposed secret announcement and vowed that it will not hestitate to physically assault any member of the group who converge on the Alagbaka home of the leader of the group and a former deputy Governor of Ondo State, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, to participate in what it described as a charade.
The youth interest group has called on the State Government and Commissioner of police, Mr Undie Adie, to arrest and prosecute anyone that converge for any political meeting in the house of Alhaji Olanusi today, saying such gathering will flout the government rules to stem the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 that is presently ravaging the world.
“It is an act of insensitivity and inordinate quest for power that will make some supposed State elders gather at this time when the State Government is doing everything possible to keep the State free from the Coronavirus” the group said.
It was revealed that, in the last 24 hours, the leadership of the Unity Group has secretly been contacting some of the members of the Group who are accomplices in the plan to announce a consensus aspirant against the overall interest of the entire members of the Group.
It was also disclosed that the plan is to go ahead and read the rejected report of the embattled seven-man screening commitee, and those who could object to the back-door plan have been kept out of the loop for a smooth execution.
The UG Foot Soldiers who described the plan as an act of desperation, said the Unity Forum, under the leadership of Alhaji Ali Olanusi, has failed in its mandate as hope of the common APC member, saying it no longer represents the interest and intent for which it was established
The group also cited what it described as act of greediness and bad leadership on the path of the leader of the group, Alhaji Olanusi, as reasons to attempt to embark on such dishonourable act.
“Baba Ali Olanusi has confirmed that he has no respect for the ultimate interest of the group and the people of Ondo State but his own pocket”. The group said.
“The numerous allegations levelled against him concerning the recent execrable activities of the Screening Committee have now been confirmed to be based on his selfishness and personal gratification against our common interest which have turned him to an inconsistent leader”.
The group alleged that seven man screening committee was singlehandedly constituted by the former Deputy Governor, saying that he had made the appointment of the Committee members so much lopsided that most of the aspirants had doubted its integrity from inception. It also said Alhaji Olanusi has taken bribe from many sources to do the bidding of a particular aspirant from the Southern Senatorial Districts, Chief Olusola Oke, SAN.
Report has it that Alhaji Olanusi connived with four out of seven members of the screening committee, against the common interest of the entire members of the Unity Group, to take over 100 million from different sources as bribe to influence the report of the group for Mr. Olusola Oke, who was revealed to have had the least performance in all of the screenings conducted for the 10 aspirants within the group.
“We are not sure if Alhaji Olanusi, as an old man, is thinking of posterity and his grave but we need to state clearly that we were decieved into believing that he is now a reliable elder statesman. We now understand that has remained as poltically miserable as he is due to ephemeral gains” the group stated.
The group berated the embattled seven man screening committee of the Unity Group, headed by a former Senator from Ondo South Senatorial District, Yele Omogunwa, saying it has lost its credibility the moment it was induced with bribe to influence its report.
“A committee whose mandate was to screen aspirants suddenly began to refer to itself as Candidate Selection Committee against the purpose for which it was constituted” the group said.
The UG Foot Soldiers said the committee was hijacked by Sen. Yele Omogunwa, Elder Michael Adeyeye, Mr Afe Olowokere, and Mr. Boye Adegbemisoye with the influence of Baba Ali Olanusi to do the bidding of Olusola Oke. It said four members had come up with the report without the prior knowledge of the other three members of the committee-Mrs Iyontan, Prince Solagbade Amodeni, and Prof. Ehindero, who is the secretary of the committee.
The group said it will be an effort in futility to try to lobby Chief Oke through the back door as the consensus aspirant of the group, saying there are enough reasons to pose Oke as a waste of effort if considered for such position.
“Oke is inconsistent and greedy. He has contested in virtually all the leading political parties just to satisfy his desperate political yearnings. A man jumping from one political party to another to quench his ambitious thirst can’t be trusted” It said.
“His losing streaks is spiritual. And he has a long history of diverting monies meant for election for private use. His choice will amount to a waste of time”
The groups said if the Unity Forum desires to be victorious in the forthcoming APC primary, it must look beyond the choice of Olusola Oke SAN.
The UG Foot Soldiers said the entire members of the APC Unity Group should reject the bid of Alhaji Ali Olanusi, Sen. Yele Omogunwa and Boye Adegbemisoye, saying the trio are more determined about doing the bidding of the PDP in the APC as against the interest of the Party and the State.
“Zebras cannot wash off their stripes. These men are what they have always been, they destroyed the PDP and jumped to the APC. The APC has suffered enough internal crisis and we cannot allow their sheer desperation for power to further break the Party” the group said.
