From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Ahead of the 2024 gubernatorial election in Ondo State, a group under the auspices of the Alliance for Credible Poll (ACP) has said that the Minister of Interior, Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo cannot lead the President’s search team to pick a suitable gubernatorial candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
A report at the weekend stated that the Minister of Interior has been assigned as the leader of the President’s team for the selection of the governorship candidate of the APC.
The team is said to be looking for a candidate who will be loyal and prepared to deliver the state to the president in the 2027 general elections.
But in a statement signed by the chairman of the ACP, Chief Olugbenga Adesina, the group said Tunji-Ojo is unqualified for the task as he is an interested party and his interest can affect the assignment given to him.
Adesina stated that the minister is not qualified to select the candidate because he allegedly has a candidate he is supporting for the race.
“We won’t like to see Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo lead the President’s team for the selection of a formidable candidate as he is the one promoting the aspiration of a particular candidate in the state.
“He is the one sponsoring the ambition of the said candidate and this should not be allowed as he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. The fact that he is sponsoring a candidate has automatically disqualified him to lead a search party for guber candidate in the state,” he added.
Also, he said that the Minister’s involvement in selecting a candidate for the party in the state will be vehemently rejected.
His words “It is on record that Nigerians are angry with President Tinubu because the palliatives approved by him failed to yield desired result. They live in pains because money meant to provide succour were diverted by a microscopic few who are privileged in the country.
” The resources meant for vulnerable Nigerians were maliciously diverted into private hands. Even his invitation to the Code of Conduct Bureau ( CCB) was swept under the carpet. Till date, Nigerians do not know the outcome of CCB findings.”
The group urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to assign the task to independent minds who will work with the leadership of the APC in choosing a formidable and strong candidate, with grassroots appeal as the party’s flag bearer.