A former Commissioner for Regional Integration in Osun State, Mr Bola Ilori, has asked Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu , to leave Asiwaju Bola Tinubu out of his travail.
The National Working Committee of the All Progressive Congress recently suspended Akeredolu for anti-party activities.
An online medium recently quoted the Senior Special Assistant on Political Affairs to the Ondo State Governor, Otito Atikase, as accusing the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole and Asiwaju Tinubu of being behind the travails of his principal in the party.
Ilori, who is also a former Chairman of Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, said in a telephone interview in Lagos that Akeredolu clearly worked against President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election and the APC in the National Assembly polls in the just concluded elections.
He stated that the Ondo State governor deserved the suspension slammed on him and should not blame his woes on anybody but himself.
He said Akeredolu should not compare his (Ilori) action of dumping the APC in 2016 when he defected to the Alliance for Democracy and campaigned publicly for the AD governorship candidate, Olusola Oke against the APC.
Ilori explained that he went to another party and did not remain in the APC to work against it, saying he returned to the party together with other aggrieved chieftains when some leaders pleaded with them to do so.
Ilori said, “Ondo State has not had this type of terrible governor. He should leave Asiwaju Bola Tinubu out of his travail. His attitude caused him the suspension and he does not have to blame anybody for it.
“There was a time we had a governor whose commissioner for information abused Tinubu, the governor sacked the man despite that he was not in the same party with Tinubu. But Akeredolu on whom this same Asiwaju spent billions of naira in 2012 is now blaming him for his woes. So, is this how to say thank you to such a person? He should check himself.”
He said, “I engaged in anti-party activities in 2016 and I was not given a query nor suspended. I was not in government then and did not hold any office in the party. I left the APC and worked for the AD. So, that is not anti-party in anyway and I returned when we were persuaded to do so.”
