Ibadan Joint Traders Association has said that the association didn’t endorse the candidate of the Accord, Chief Bayo Adelabu.
The association in a press statement on Friday made available to newsmen said Alhaji Dauda Abiodun Oladepo who made the endorsement publication is no longer a member of the association.
The statement was signed by Alhaji Chief Raufu Salami (Baale Onisowo of Ibadanland), Alhaja Chief Iswat Oyinlola Abiola Amerigun (Iyaloja of Ibadanland), Alhaji Chief Maruf Hassan (Balogun Onisowo of Ibadanland) and Mallam Zakariyah Kamil Ariyo (General Secretary).
It reads: “Ibadan Joint Traders Association which is one of the cluster Associations that made up of Oyo State market Leaders Advisory Council humbly state that the attention of its stakeholders such as Alhaji Chief Raufu Salami (Baale Onisowo of Ibadanland), Alhaja Chief Iswat Oyinlola Abiola Amerigun (lyaloja of Ibadanland), Alhaji Chief Maruf Hassan (Balogun Onisowo of Ibadanland) and Mallam Zakariya Kamil Ariyo (General Secretary) have been drawn to the publication recently made by Alhaji Dauda Abiodun Oladepo claiming the endorsement of Chief Adebayo Adelabu as the preferred Governorship candidate of Oyo State endorsed by the Joint Traders in Ibadan and environs for the forthcoming 2023 Governorship election
“We wish to use this medium to notify the entire people of Oyo State that the so called Alhaji Dauda Abiodun Oladepo had been dismissed as a member of the Joint Traders Association after his removal as President since 2020 due to his financial misappropriation, abuse of office and anti-association activities and his removal was also sanctioned by the Immediate Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Saliu Akanmu, Aje Ogungunniso who happened to be Grand Patron of the Association and Kabiyesi equally wrote letter dated 30th November, 2020 to the Commissioner of Police Oyo State confirming his dismissal.
“Furthermore, the Association had equally caused a Disclaimer notice to be published in the Nigerian Tribune Newspaper of 4th day of October, 2021 and since year 2020 he has ceased to be a member of the Association talkless of being its President alleged.
‘It is therefore laughable and unbelievable that the same Alhaji Dauda Abiodu Oladepo will come out for his selfish interest to make any declaration on behalf of the association to endorse any candidate which he knows he has no moral or legal right to do.
“We therefore dissociate ourselves from the declaration and that we have confidence in the present administration under the able leadership of His Excellency, Engineer Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde who recently confirmed and approved our highly revered Alhaji (Chief) Asiwaju Yekini Abass Oladapo as Babaloja General of Oyo State and has restored peaceful co-existence among the traders in Oyo State as a whole.
‘We therefore urge the good people of Oyo State to discountenance the ungodly statement credited to Alhaji Dauda Abiodun Oladepo and we state categorically that we are in support of the aspiration of the People’s Governor to continue his meritorious services to the people of Oyo State through his re-election bid so that his laudable achievements that have taken Oyo Sate to an enviable height shall continue.
“Finally, the statement of Alhaji Dauda Abiodun Oladepo is mischievous, misleading. unguided and unpatriotic as he has no consent, mandate and authority of eminent members of the Association to make such declaration/publication which has caused great embarrassment to the executives and members of the association.”
