A former president of the Nigeria Bar Association, and now governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress APC in Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, has denied making unsavory statements against the former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu.
Mr. Tinubu is a national leader of the APC.
Mr. Akeredolu said he did not insult the APC leader over the alleged imposition of candidate on the party.
In statement on Friday, Mr. Akeredolu said comments making the rounds on social media quoting him as insulting some leaders of the party were untrue.
“My attention has been drawn to some stories making the rounds especially on the social media linking me with some ridiculous comments and incendiary quotes on the purported endorsement of candidates in the governorship primary,” he said.
“Those who know my antecedents will attest to the fact that I am a man of courage.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I did not insult any of our national leaders in APC, especially Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as quoted mischievously in the social media.”
According to him, he stood by the assurances given by the leaders of the party that there would be free and fair primary.
“What is happening in Ondo state right now is that some leaders are using the name of Asiwaju Tinubu to cause confusion; claiming that he had given them money to work for a particular aspirant,” Mr. Akeredolu said.
“Anybody doing such cannot be described as a leader. Asiwaju Tinubu’s last communication on Ondo State Governorship primary was that there will be free and fair primary.”
Mr. Akeredolu warned desperate politicians to stop causing confusion with Tinubu’s name.
On his emergence as the candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in 2012 governorship election, Mr. Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the present scenario was different from what occurred in 2012.
“Again, politicians are using my emergence in 2012 to justify the alleged endorsement of a particular aspirant,” he said.
“For the record, I wasn’t imposed in 2012. The ACN didn’t conduct primary in 2012. All the aspirants submitted ourselves to the selection process of the party and I was selected. Not imposed.
“Nobody bought nomination forms. We all agreed to abide by the decision of the leadership of ACN. That was exactly what happened. It was a collective decision of all leaders including serving and former governors of the progressive family in the south west.
“It is unfair to use the 2012 scenario to justify the present situations where aspirants have obtained nomination forms.
“All said and done, I have implicit confidence in our party’s leadership to conduct credible primar,” he said.
Mr. Akeredolu urged the public to disregard any unsavoury statement credited to him.
The crisis emanating from the endorsement has led to the sacking the Chairman of the party in the state party chairman, Isaac Kekemeke.
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