Tinubu denies banning Oyo gov. Ajimobi from governorship rallies
…says governor is partner in progress, not rival
The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has denied having any rift with the Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi saying that himself and the governor are partners and not rivals and that his intervention in the Oyo State APC is to engender genuine reconciliation not to hide or supplant the governor.
The former Lagos State governor was reacting to a report by an online news media, that he, Tinubu was moving to ban Governor Ajimobil from leading the APC campaigns in Oyo following his intervention in the state and holding discussions with some notable leaders and bringing back to the party’s fold former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala.
Tinubu who described Governor Ajimobi as an excellent governor and a faithful member of the APC, said that Ajimobi “has brought progress to the state and in serving two consecutive terms, Ajimobi made history in Oyo. He is instrumental to anything the APC can achieve in Oyo.”
The APC leader in a statement on Monday by his Media Adviser, Tunde Rahman, noted that he was only lending his support to the governor’s and APC’s efforts in the state. “They are partners not rivals,” Rahman said.
He described the report by the online medium as another excursion into falsehood. But added: “This report goes beyond a lie. It is a vindictive attempt to sow discord because the writer is angered by the APC’s success in the presidential election. Thus, the writer has cast truth aside in his angry desire to inflict some kind of electoral wound on the APC.”
The statement reads: “SaharaReporters seems unable to mend its ways. Instead of trying to publish what is fair and accurate, it rather grows its tales from seedlings of untruth and calumny.
This online newspaper no longer bothers to offer the pretense of seeking the truth. For SaharaReporters, whatever is sensational must be true and whatever is true must be sensational. The real truth is that SaharaReporters no longer cares if its reportage is right.
SaharaReporters just cares that it is widely read. It dare not allow veracity to hamper its business model. This is a disservice to ethical journalism which honors truthful, accurate reporting.
“The report titled “Tinubu Bans Ajimobi from Appearing at APC Governorship Rallies” is another of SaharaReporters’ excursions into falsehood.
The report claims that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu somehow has banned Governor Abiola Ajimobi from attending APC campaigns for Saturday’s governorship election in Oyo State.
“This report goes beyond a lie. It is a vindictive attempt to sow discord because the writer is angered by the APC’s success in the presidential election.
Thus, the writer has cast truth aside in his angry desire to inflict some kind of electoral wound on the APC. However, the writer should refrain from this path of falsehood.
It would be better for the writer to come to grips with reality and to accept the fact of the APC presidential victory and the likelihood of APC victories in most governorship elections, including that of Oyo.
“The mischief that SaharaReporters cites is not between Tinubu and Ajimobi. It is solely in the mind of SaharaReporters. By its unsubstantiated report, the medium seeks to set brother against brother.
Asiwaju and Governor Ajimobi have been political brothers and allies for a long time. Their friendship existed long before SaharaReporters came to the scene and will endure long after this self-diminishing online site is no more.
“Moreover, Governor Ajimobi has been an excellent governor and a faithful member of the APC. He has brought progress to the state and in serving two consecutive terms, Ajimobi made history in Oyo.
He is instrumental to anything the APC can achieve in Oyo. The truth is that Asiwaju is not trying to supplant or hide the governor. Instead, Asiwaju is lending his support to the governor’s and APC’s efforts in the state. They are partners not rivals.
“As such, he has held strategic meetings with some notable groups and important individuals. The heart of the discussions was the need for all to come together to achieve victory for APC in the March 9 governorship poll.
At no time did the issue of banning anybody, talk less of Governor Ajimobi, enter into the discussions. We want and need Governor Ajimobi to be a visible figure at the forefront of this campaign during these final decisive days. He will prove pivotal to our hope for victory in the state,” the statement said.
