Executive assistant to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on political matters, Barr. Morohunkola Thomas has said that the governor did not appoint caretaker committee members for local government and local council development areas in the Oyo and part of Ogbomoso towns.
Traditional chiefs in Oyo Town, it would be recalled, had sought redress in court, following what they referred to as the ceding of the villages to other town to form LCDAs, without any referendum by the State government; an action which put a stop to the planned conduct of council election in the state.
To fill the vacuum created by the stoppage of the election, Ajimobi, two months ago, appointed caretaker chairmen for all the council areas in the state, leaving the affected areas behind.
But barring his mind on politics in the state and other sundry issues on a live radio programme monitored by InsideOyo in Ibadan, the state capital, Thomas said that Ajimobi left out the affected council areas in the appointment of caretaker chairmen in order to show the world that he did not engineer the court case.
His words: “Council election is important to this administration. We have set up OYSIEC. The commission’s office has been refurbished while funds have been allocated. That tells you that we are ready for election. Though we are not happy with the court case but they also have the right to seek to go to court. However, we are working on how to peaceful the matter out of court.
“Let me tell you; Governor Ajimobi wants council election to hold. This is because he believes that people must be allowed to choose who governs them.
“He didn’t know anything about the court case instituted by some traditional chiefs as insinuated by some people. And that was why he didn’t appoint chairmen in the affected council areas. Why would somebody who contested four election successfully be afraid of council election? We are even talking of somebody who broke the second term jinx. “
Thomas, who was a three-term commissioner in the state, revealed that there was no division within the ranks of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, adding that those who protested against the appointment of some caretaker chairman have been compensated. “It is lawful to show your displeasure with something you are not please with. That is the beauty of democracy. Most of the aggrieved persons have become secretary and members of the transition committee of their respective council areas.
He also disclosed that Ajimobi had said that members of the APC and not him (the governor) would select who will fly the party’s flag in the 2019 governorship election. “Ajimobi believes in merit,” he added.
