Following the controversy surrounding the emergence of Former Governor Abiola Ajimobi as the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress, APC, a chieftain of the party in Oyo state, Engineer Muftau Open Salawu has said that the party at the National level needs an experienced and versatile person like Ajimobi.
Open Salawu, a former Special Adviser on Works and Transport, while speaking with insideoyo.com on Thursday, said with the experience of Ajimobi, no doubt he’s the best for the position.
He said “Senator Abiola Ajimobi’s appointment as the Deputy Chairman South of the All Progressives Congress, APC is round peg in a round hole. At this point in time, the party requires more versatile person. Somebody with a strong character and very exposed. And he has all these qualities, I believe he’s going to do his best. Moreso, he is a very experienced person, that’s well trained, a two term governor, a former Senator.
“You don’t just have all these experiences and exposures and be in the cooler. You should be in the arena and contribute your quota at all levels in as much as you have the ability to do so which I believe he can. But again, it’s the time for all of us in APC to understand some basic principles of life, which is the spirit of forgiveness.”
The Ogobomoso-born civil engineer while urging people to embrace the spirit of forgiveness said there’s no how a performing Governor like Ajimobi will not offend people during his term in office.
His words “So we should learn how to let things go and there’s no way you will govern a very complex state like Oyo state and everybody will smile at you love you. Definitely, there are some steps you must have taken that might have affected some people but the most important thing is that those steps were taken in the interest of the general public not personal gain.
“He has done very well as a governor and his contribution to infrastructural development of the state is a landmark achievement. Also in terms of security, he has done wonderfully well. People of the state can also confirm this, compared to what we have now.
“Him coming to the National level of the party, he will definitely add value to the activities of the party at the National level and at the state level. Even for those that are having concerns or issues about the way the reconciliation will go, it’s an opportunity for them to also come together and see that it’s not about individual, it’s about the entire party. We just have to move on.
“Somebody with such a profile in our party is an advantage to us not disadvantage. You don’t have someone that just finished serving two term in office still showing interest in politics and participating in the activities of the party and say he should go for retirement. No, you don’t tell a General to go for retirement like that. A General will always be a General.
“So it’s a welcome development. I congratulate the entire APC family for this wonderful opportunity given to our boss, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and I believe he’s going to also do better this time around than what he did as a governor if he has the opportunity.”
