The Director-General of Segun Oni Campaign Organisation, Ife Arowosoge, has said that the alleged suspension of the former Governor Segun Oni from the All Progressives Congress was to ensure that his name did not feature in the ministerial list.
Arowosoge, a former House of Representatives member, said the party chieftains in the state had thought Oni would be included in the ministerial list.
The ex-lawmaker in a statement on Saturday said those who suspended Oni were non-natives of Ifaki town where the former governor hails from.
The APC Ifaki Ward II Chairman, Shina Akinloye, and Secretary, Ogunyemi Taiwo, had in a letter dated May 1, 2019 addressed to Oni, suspended him from the party based on his alleged refusal to honour invitation for investigation into the allegations of anti-party activities levelled against him.
But Arowosoge said the suspension was not genuine.
He said, “They thought his name would feature in the ministerial list position. That is the gimmicks. Now that it is settled, let us see what will happen. Chief Segun Oni is not just anybody in the party and before you can say the party has spoken, the party at the national level must speak on that issue.
“As a matter of fact, those who suspended him are not natives of that town. The non-natives, who signed the letter were imposed on the ward and used to write the said letter of suspension. Nobody has even brought any letter to the effect. When he was invited, they brought a letter, though not directly to him. If the suspension is genuine, the letter ought to have got to him by now.”
The APC State Publicity Secretary, Ade Ajayi, urged Oni to go back to his ward and make peace, denying the claim that the suspension was a ploy to stop him from being nominated as a minister.
Ajayi said, “After all, he was the APC Deputy National Chairman (South). If he had done well over there, the supreme body of the party would have recommended him for that ministerial slot. So the state executives or any individual in the state did not take that step to stop him from being nominated.”