A former House of Representatives member and son of ex-governor of Ogun State, Olumide Osoba, has dissociated himself from the consensus list of the state chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement made available to reporters in Abeokuta, the former lawmaker rejected the attempt to impose him on Abeokuta South Federal Constituency.
Having represented Abeokuta North/Obafemi Owode/Odeda Federal Constituency between 2011 and 2015, he said it was “absurd and ridiculous” to find his name on the controversial list to represent Abeokuta South Federal Constituency.
Osoba, a House of Representatives aspirant for 2019 elections, declared that he was prepared to participate in direct primaries in accordance with the instruction from the APC national secretariat.
He said, “I will forever be grateful to the people of Abeokuta North, Obafemi Owode and Odeda Federal Constituency for finding me worthy to be their Representative.
“Having said that, I owe full allegiance to that Federal Constituency and at no time have I ever entertained the thought of abandoning them to seek election into the House of Representatives from another Constituency.
“I served them with all I had and I am till this day grateful for the bond we have. I registered and vote at Owode Ward 3, unit 006 Geleodun polling unit in Obafemi Owode Local Government and I have never participated in the politics of Abeokua South.
“It is therefore absurd and ridiculous to find my name on a list been peddled allegedly as a consensus list. I at no time participated in any consensus arrangement and neither was I contacted. I therefore wish to disassociate myself from the list.
“On the issue of primaries of our Great Party for aspirants seeking to become Candidates in the general election of 2019 I totally abide by the ruling and communiqué of the NWC and I am ready and willing to submit myself to a direct Primary in my Federal Constituency of Abeokuta North, Obafemi Owode and Odeda Federal Constituency.”
It will be recalled that the consensus arrangement endorsed by Governor Ibikunle Amosun, a serving House of Representatives member, Adekunle Akinlade, emerged as the governorship candidate of the APC.
The list also produced the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Peju Adebajo, as the running mate of the gubernatorial candidate.
Meanwhile, only one of the current National Assembly members belonging to the APC in the state will return in 2019 barring any last minute changes.
The APC has two senators and seven House of Representatives members while the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has one senator and two lawmakers.
In the Ogun APC Unity List currently circulating online and confirmed by dependable sources within the party, the member representing Abeokuta North/Obafemi-Owode/Owode Federal Constituency, Mikhail Kazzim, was given an automatic ticket to contest.
