- Safiu Kehinde
Bolaji Akinola, the Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has dismissed the alleged involvement of the Minister in the All Progressives Congress (APC) screening for the Osun governorship primary.
This is coming amid claims that Oyetola had orchestrated the screening panel’s disqualification of seven aspirants, including the former APC National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore.
NPO earlier Reported that Omisore’s disclosure of how the chairman of the panel had claimed to have received a call from Iyiola who allegedly told the members of the panel that the preferred candidate for the Osun governorship election is the immediate past Director General of the National Inland Waterways Agency (NIWA), Mr. Bola Oyebanji.
The former Osun Deputy Governor, in video shared on Facebook, alleged that Oyetola had directed the Chairman of the screening panel to disqualify every other aspirant for the governorship ticket.
Reacting to the development in a statement issued on Sunday, Akinola said that the allegations circulated by Omisore and other aspirants were “baseless, misleading and totally false”.
He stressed that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy played no role, direct or indirect, in decisions taken by the Screening Committee or the Screening Appeal Panel.
According to him, Oyetola did not and could not have meddled in the screening exercise or in the affairs of the screening bodies.
He added that both panels were “independent party organs empowered by the APC Constitution to carry out their duties without interference”.
Akinola said any suggestion of undue influence was “wrong, unfair and completely unfounded”.
He noted that Oyetola had consistently upheld fairness, transparency and strict respect for party rules throughout his political career.
Akinola said: “As former Governor of Osun and a respected APC leader, Oyetola remains committed to internal democracy.”
He added that the Minister “will never interfere in a process where he has no statutory role”.
The aide urged aggrieved aspirants to follow the party’s established channels for complaints and dispute resolution.
Akinola reaffirmed the Minister’s commitment to unity, discipline and the greater interest of the APC in Osun.
He appealed to all stakeholders to prioritise the party’s progress and the broader welfare of Osun residents.