Immediate past Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, has reportedly declined the offer to serve as a Minister under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government.
Sources told InsideOyo.com on Thursday, that the former governor turned down the offer to allow the president pick a younger person from the Oyo APC team.
An insider close to the former governor and part of the past administration said the former governor is expected to recommend a younger person as Minister from Oyo state.
“I can’t give you anything authoritative on it but it is expected in line with his statesman lifestyle that he will/has declined it while making recommendations for younger people,” he told InsideOyo.com on Thursday morning.
Today makes it 50 days since President Muhammadu Buhari returned as President of Nigeria. Stakeholders and party leaders are awaiting ministerial nominees for his second term in office.
Apart from Ajimobi, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bayo Adelabu, who lost out to Governor Seyi Makinde at the 2019 gubernatorial election may be a push for replacement.
President Buhari is only days away from submitting a list of ministerial nominees to lawmakers for screening, vetting and confirmation; with each state of the federation constitutionally required to have a representative in the federal cabinet.
Bayo Adelabu is 48 years old and one of the key stakeholders in the Oyo APC. Joseph Tegbe is also a potential hand, having stepped down for Adelabu during the APC primary election. Tegbe, a renowned tech advisory expert at KMPG is also a key person likely to be considered for the ministarial appointment.
It is not certain if Buhari-led APC government will return Saki-born lawyer, Barr. Adebayo Shittu as a minister.
Similarly, Pulse reports that an aide to the ex governor confirmed the news.
He said “While rejecting the offer, he offered to recommend younger people to fill in the role”,.
Pulse was further told that Ajimobi did this “in line with his continuous drive to see that offices are maximized, especially by the younger generation.
“As a statesman, leader of the APC and having seen the younger people do remarkable things, he said he was privileged to nominate others to fill the role”.
