The Media Adviser to Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi), Chief Kayode Odunaro, has dismissed reports of alleged disaffection by former Ogun State governors, Senators Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun, over Adeola’s emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus governorship candidate in the state.
Odunaro described the alleged disagreement by the two former governors as “narratives the opposition are playing up”, insisting that there was no evidence in the public domain that Daniel had openly expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the party’s consensus arrangement.
He stated this on Channels Television’s Lunchtime Politics programme on Wednesday while reacting to the controversies surrounding the APC governorship primary in Ogun State.
According to him, available video footage showed Daniel supporting the consensus arrangement that produced Adeola, while Amosun had also been associated with support for the process.
The media adviser further disclosed that Adeola had reached out to both former governors, saying efforts had been made to address any concerns they might have had about the process.
He argued that Daniel’s membership of the Presidential Campaign Council was a further indication of his continued commitment to the APC and the party’s political direction.
“Senator Adeola has reached out to Senator Daniel and Amosun. So if somebody is unhappy and he has been appealed to, Senator Daniel you are talking about is a member of the Presidential Campaign Council, which proves that he is fully with the party.
“To my knowledge, I’m not aware in any public domain that Senator Daniel is expressing disaffection openly. The disaffection by Daniel and Amosun are narratives the opposition are playing up,” he said.
Odunaro also rejected attempts to link Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello to the current APC controversy, noting that she had left the party to pursue a senatorial ambition on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said Obasanjo-Bello was present at the APC consensus meeting but subsequently moved to the PDP to contest for the Ogun Central Senatorial ticket.
“Sincerely, Iyabo Obasanjo was at the consensus primary and there were issues according to her, which I don’t want to go into. But later she went to PDP to contest for the Senatorial ticket.
“There is no crossing point with Iyabo anymore because she’s no longer a member of our party. She should rather face her Senatorial ambition in Ogun Central.”
Odunaro also took a swipe at APC governorship aspirant Abayomi Hunye, describing him as a “serial political negotiator” and alleging that he conducted a parallel governorship primary in his private residence.
He alleged that Hunye failed to participate in the party’s direct primary at the designated venue in Ipokia, but instead gathered his supporters at his residence and presented the gathering as an election.
According to Odunaro, Hunye scored zero in the official primary because neither he nor his agents participated at the designated venues across the state.
“What he did was to gather people in his house and pretend to have an election without any party officials and INEC officials in his ward, and he is parading that video as evidence that he didn’t score zero. I reiterate that he scored zero and lost gallantly.”
Odunaro further accused Hunye of using political contests to negotiate for appointments, alleging that he had adopted the same approach under previous administrations.
“Abayomi Hunye is a serial political negotiator. He did it with Senator Ibikunle Amosun, he did the same thing during the time of Governor Dapo Abiodun, now again with Senator Adeola Yayi,” he said.
“All he is looking for is just to negotiate for an appointment. This is a man who went to place an advert just to seek an audience with Mr. President. He is just out to negotiate an appointment for himself.”
He challenged Hunye to identify any APC ward executive who was present at the purported primary conducted at his residence.
“Can he tell us any party executive in his Tube ward that was present at his primary?” Odunaro queried.
He maintained that there was no major disagreement over Adeola’s emergence, saying the senator was selected as the consensus candidate after consultations involving APC stakeholders, including past and present governors and other aspirants.
