There’s no political battle fought I haven’t won ―Ajimobi

GOVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has urged leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to be willing to forgive and accommodate aggrieved members, especially those of the Unity Forum, noting that he always won his political battles and outwitted his opponents because of his forgiving and accommodating spirit.

Noting that politics was usually replete with mischief, betrayal, misunderstanding, disagreement, Ajimobi said all well-meaning members of the party must be keen to extend their olive branch to those aggrieved and collaborate so as to fester the hold of the APC in the state.

Ajimobi, who made this call at the swearing-in of newly elected Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of 33 local government areas and 35 local council development areas in the state, held at House of Chiefs, Secretariat, Ibadan, bemoaned that almost all those currently stood against him had benefited from his administration at one point or the other.

According to Ajimobi, his brand of politics which is to forgive and accommodate is evidenced by his accommodating former opponents like former Governor Adebayo Alao Akala, former Senate Leader Teslim Folarin, former deputy governor Taofeek Arapaja among others into the APC.

While congratulating the new LG Chairmen on their emergence, Ajimobi said he was not perturbed at the backing out of many opposition parties from the local government election held last Saturday.

He said their non-participation was their self-confirmation of lack of presence, relevance structure and convincing status in the politics of the state.

“I appeal to all and sundry within and outside our party to whom we extend our hands of fellowship to support, cooperate and collaborate with us in repositioning Oyo State. Politics is always full of disagreements; it is full of mischief; it is full of misunderstandings but you must be humble in victory. You must call others who disagree with you and let them work with you. I have laid examples; I have been leading by examples.

“Before we came in, we contested with PDP government of Governor Adebayo Alao Akala; the Senate Leader at that time, Senator Teslim Folarin; former deputy governor and many others. Today, they are with us. That is the spirit of our own politics.

“We are not politicians on pages of newspapers, on social media, on television; we are people politicians. Interestingly, there is none of all those who are going round and against us today that has not benefited from this administration.

“The titles they use before their names are the titles I gave them in this administration. The Bible and Qur’an are replete with people who betrayed confidence; it is replete with people who disappoint others; it is replete with people who are mischievous; it is replete with rabble rousers; it is replete with noisemakers. But the Bible and Qur’an also preach forgiveness; they preach accommodation.

“And you will notice that there is no battle that we have fought and not won, but we have always been forgiving. So, I plead with you to please forgive, accommodate. Some say Ajimobi is a misery but I am not. My strength is in forgiveness and in forgiving. When you forgive others and overlook their misdeeds, God will always support you.

“I’m not the strongest, smartest but we have always outwitted all those who ran against us. So, I plead with you to learn to forgive,” Ajimobi said.

Meanwhile, Ajimobi, in a meeting with leaders of the APC across the state, at Governor’s office, Ibadan, hinted that he was still undecided on whom to support as his successor.

Noting that he was not against any aspirant, he said he will reach a decision on whom to support based on consensus reached with leaders and stakeholders in the party.

This is just as he asked all the party leaders to gladly embrace aggrieved members, noting that the party must maintain a forgiving posture.

Meanwhile, Ajimobi hinted that he was still undecided on whom to support as his successor.

An APC leader in Oyo zone, Mr Solomon Akindele described the current strife in the party as a recurrence of history in the politics in the state which will pass away.

Especially, Akindele urged Ajimobi to be forgiving, patient and accommodating to aggrieved members.

Speaking, leader of the party in Ibarapa zone, Mr Olaide Abas, said many of those who currently claim to be LAMISTs were originally never associates of the Lam Adesina when he was alive.

He avowed the desire of the party leaders to extend their hands of love and fellowship to the aggrieved.

According to Mr Femi Yusuf, representing Ogbomoso zone, there was no better LAMIST than Ajimobi, noting that there was always the tendency for crisis whenever congresses and elections are to be held.

In his own remarks, an APC leader in Ibadan, Mr Kamorudeen Ajisafe urged the aggrieved to be guided by the fear of God and bear in mind that they were once beneficiaries of the Ajimobi led administration.

Representing Oke-Ogun zone, Pa Samuel Adekola appealed to the aggrieved members to embrace Ajimobi as leader of the party.