Why we formed another ex-political office holders Forum – Alashe

By Rasaq Adebayo

The former Supervisory Councillor for Agriculture in Ejigbo LCDA, Hon. Yemisi Alashe has explained that members committed to the second term project of the incumbent chairman of Ejigbo LCDA, Hon. Monsuru Bello has formed a new Ex-political Office Holder’s Forum to work for the progress of the local council.

Alashe told our correspondent that disunity set in when some members of the forum decided to follow other paths different from the resolution of the forum before the APC party primaries.

According to her, the chairmanship aspirant, Hon. Petter Ajayi, who is one of the members of the forum, had earlier told other members that he was not aspiring and would not contest for any political position but later obtained the form to contest the primary for the council chairmanship contrary to what he told them.

His action, Alashe said, divided the forum as some members decided not to align with the forum any longer hence, the need to reconstitute the forum.

She explained: “Earlier in the year, all of us in the forum had endorsed the incumbent chairman, Hon. Monsuru Bello Obe for his second term. Then, we asked whether anybody had an interest in contesting for the chairmanship but nobody indicated interest. Later when we had been campaigning for Obe, it was during that time that Hon. Peter Ajayi lost his mother. We went to meet him being one of us to sympathise with him and to congratulate him on his birthday because it was at the same time.

“The former coordinator of the forum, Hon. Taningbola, secretary, Hon. Olalekan Musa, Hon. Atinsola and I were the ones who went to Hon. Peter Ajayi with a roll-up banner we did for him. There in his house, he told us even without asking him that he was not going for the political post. He said I, Alashe and Hon. Atinsola should go and tell the chairman that he was not contesting for any post. He even told us that he was shocked that his friend, Sola Adeniran, came out to show interest.”

Continuing, Alashe said Hon. Taningbola later called her to say that Hon. Ajayi had collected form to contest for the local council chairmanship.

She said she told Taningbola that she would never be part of the ambition.

“Meanwhile, some people wanted to blackmail me and Hon. Atinsola with the picture we took with Hon. Ajayi with the roll-up banner we did for him for his birthday. They were claiming that we went to endorse him but God exonerated us especially with his first message he asked us to relay to the chairman that he was not contesting.”

After the drama, Alashe said they called for the meeting but some of them did not respond but later summoned another emergency meeting where the executive was dissolved as the members said they did not have confidence in the leadership of the former coordinator, Hon. Taningbola.

She emerged as the new co-ordinator at the event.

Meanwhile, Alashe said henceforth, all fractions are banned, urging all members to come together to move the Forum forward and to also move Ejigbo LCDA to greater heights.

She also appealed to the former coordinator, Hon. Taningbola, secretary, Hon. Olalekan Musa and PRO, Hon. Damilola Onadeko to desist from representing the Forum since they have been removed.