Member, House of Representatives, representing Ekiti, Irepodun, Isin, Oke-ero Federal Constituency, Abdulraheem Tunji Ajuloopin, has described as frivolous the allegation by the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, against him on the 2018 by-election campaign fund.
Ajuloopin said at a press briefing Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Sunday, the lawmaker said that such allegation only existed in the imagination of the minister.
Giving details by the details of what transpired, Ajuloopin stated that a North Central state governor reached out to him on the personal ground to donate toward the 2018 by-election, “and when the minister got wind of the donation, he immediately reached out to him asking him to bring the money.
“However, I immediately contacted a few of our trusted party elders to intimate them of the development, but they counselled me against sending the money to the minister based on his antecedent with money.
“Also, on my own, I personally gave Alhaji Lai Muhammed the sum of N32.5million, with the full knowledge of the former party chairman, Bashir Bolarinwa, for election purposes; the minister and Bashir Bolarinwa cannot deny this”.
Ajuloopin also said that “it would also interest the public to know that one senior Federal Government official told Governor AbdulRazaq who was then the candidate of the party that Lai Mohammed reached out to him and claimed that there was no money for the by-election campaign in Kwara.
The lawmaker, who declined to name the official, said he pleaded with the governorship candidate (now the Governor) and asked him to release N50 million to the minister, which was released, said the money was never accounted for nor used for campaign purposes as envisaged.
He added that the minister’s allegation only showed that he was not on the ground during the by-election to know the enormity of work and resources put into winning the elections.
He said that the Minister only found it convenient to raise such allegation at a political gathering to score cheap points.
“It will interest you to know that Alhaji Lai Mohammed has never challenged me on how best we can improve the lives of our people in Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero”, he said.
He further said that the minister’s allegation showed that he was at large in the build-up to the election and could not have known that contesting and defeating an incumbent comes with huge resources and responsibility, and not mere political rhetoric.
“You will recall that the November 2018 by-election campaign was the best any serious and ambitious politician could put up; that election was a huge success because of our unwavering commitment.
“The minister, as at the time of the by-election, was the party leader who presided over the campaign funds, which included huge amounts donated by some Kwara-born politicians from Lagos, all these monies were not accounted for by the minister.
He stated that if the minister was in doubt as to how the money was spent, should have queried that before now and not when he fell out with the Governor who he is trying so hard to rubbish at all cost.
He urged the minister to be more cautious and elderly in his approach because those who live in a glass house should not throw stones.
“At a time when the minister is supposed to be commissioning projects facilitated by him, especially in Kwara South, his immediate constituency and the State in general, he is busy polarising the party and commissioning factional secretariat of the party.
He said that Otoge was the struggle of the people and nobody should claim undue credit for it.
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