OYO: Ajimobi vows to reclaim senatorial mandate in court

The immediate past governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi Thursday said he will ensure that his stolen mandate in the last senatorial election is retrieved in court, rather than pursuing ministerial appointment.

He also clarified that he didn’t reject ministerial appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari, saying he was not offered the appointment in the first place.

Meanwhile, reports on social media on Thursday suggested that he rejected a ministerial appointment offered him by the President.

But the former governor while speaking with newsmen in Ibadan, said it was impossible to reject what was not offered.

He said he only expressed his personal choice for the Senate, stressing that it was the reason he was committed to the petition his party filed against Senator Kola Balogun at the tribunal.

Balogun was declared the winner of the Oyo South Senatorial District election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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The elected senator contested on the platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Ajimobi is of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ajimobi said he however, affirmed his belief  that the ministerial appointment should go to a younger member of the party in Oyo State since he is not the only APC member in the state.

He said: “I am in court for my senatorial election. I only expressed my preference that I am in court because I prefer the Senate. How can I be pursuing the Senate and ministerial appointment at the same time? I prefer the Senate. I hold President Muhammadu Buhari in high esteem. I will actually prefer a younger person to be considered for the ministerial slot since I am pursuing my senatorial ambition.”

He said those behind the misleading report wanted to cause disaffection between him and the President, whom he has a lot of respect for.

“I don’t know the source of their report. They just want to set me against Mr. President and it won’t work,” Ajimobi said.

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