Hon. (Prince) Saheed Olalekan Popoola, a Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in Kwara, and Lawmaker representing Ojomu Balogun Constituency in Offa Local Government at the Kwara State House of Assembly, has fired back at Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, describing the comment on his person as ‘watery, reckless, and lacking the proper perspective of the true happenings’.
Popoola disclosed this while featuring on a weekly radio session tagged ‘Ifokanbale Hour’on Harmony FM 103.5 in Idofian, on Tuesday, in Kwara State.
He was reacting to the comments where the governor allegedly said he gave the Assembly ticket to him during the 2019 electioneering in the state.
THE ELITES WATCH recalls that the governor recently granted an interview with ThisDay Newspaper where he discussed some developmental issues, raised some allegations and, give answers to other sundry issues.
Our correspondent who monitored the radio programme gathered that the lawmaker lamented the part of the interview where his name was mentioned, adding that the comments shouldn’t have been made at a time the ruling APC needed in-house building ahead of the task ahead of it.
He said: “Truly surprised to read that the governor mentioned my name in his recent interview with a newspaper as someone he gifted the Assembly ticket to during the electioneering period. Although, the governor has raised all manners of issues lately. He has raised a lot of allegations on the personalities of some of our respected Leaders in the party and I can see the response from them has been deserving. He who alleges must prove! and the reason for all these allegations is best known to him.
“I am saying emphatically that it is insulting for anyone to say he gifted me the Assembly ticket. The comment on my person by the governor is very watery, reckless, and lacks the proper perspective of the actual event during the electioneering in 2019. For prosperity’s sake, I won the House of Representatives ticket in our Federal constituency during the party primaries in 2018 while my respected boss, Arc. Lola Ashiru won the Senate ticket. It was then that the party waded in when there were contestations that the Senate and Rep tickets could not be retained in the same local government.
“After several deliberations, The party asked our community (Offa) to decide for us as to which one will be dropped for the other. In fairness to my community, I was asked to let go of my Rep ticket for the other person to run for a higher position which is the Senate. As a lover of my community, I accepted the decision weighed by our community to throw my hat off the ring and allow Arc. Lola Ashiru to run for the Senate.
He furthered: “I believe it was after due diligence that the party decided that I should run as a Member of the State House of Assembly in their bid for me to become a Principal Officer at the Hallowed Chamber.
“So, if anyone will claim to have gifted me the Assembly ticket, it is the party that can make such a comment and not any individual. And to the Glory of God, I was voted massively by my constituents during the poll. Likewise, If anyone will deserve any commendation whatsoever, I must say my constituents deserved all that.
“I make bold to say that I was the first person in the whole of Nigeria to contest and won with APC as a party when it was formed in 2013. Left for me, I wouldn’t have responded to the governor’s comment, but for posterity’s sake, I will say it is disappointing and embarrassing on my personality.
“Like the popular saying, as the Day is no more, People forgets easily but History would never forget. Either for good or bad, I shall be remembered for something when I’m no more in active politics.”
When asked about his comment on the recent defection of the Former Kwara Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Bio Ibrahim, The lawmaker who expressed with utmost disappointment affirmed that the defected ex-minister remains a strong political figure in the state describing his defection as a big blow to the ruling APC in Kwara.
The lawmaker concluded that the ex-minister remains his best ally despite the party differences.
“The people know where I always stand, the path of the truth. I am one of those that have been at the other side of the divide temporarily before I returned to the Progressive fold shortly after.
“I am saying categorically that Rt. Hon. Bio Ibrahim’s defection to the opposition PDP remains a big blow to the APC in Kwara. I maintained that the ex-minister decided in the best hard way and I respect his personal decision.
“Rt. Hon. Bio has made a strong decision which the majority of us have found very difficult to make while our party appears adamant towards our yearnings. Regardless, Rt. Hon. Bio Ibrahim remains my best ally as I wish him well in his new political sojourn.”