Shitu also described the inauguration of Akin Oke as the Chairman of the party in the state as “political suicide”.
Minister of information Adebayo Shittu has written to the national leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to blame Oyo state Governor Abiola Ajimobi for the party's recent election loss in the state.
The letter, titled ‘Appeal to save the soul of APC, Oyo State chapter’, was addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice-President Yemi Osibajo, Bola Tinubu and National Chairman John Oyegun.
Accusing Ajimobi of turning the Oyo State chapter of the party into fiefdom, the minister said Ajimobi’s “undemocratic” practices resulted in the loss of elections held in the state since the Governor won his second term.
Shitu also described the inauguration of Akin Oke as the Chairman of the party in the state as “political suicide”.
The letter by shittu reads: “I am constrained to write this appeal to you in view of the undemocratic happenings in the Oyo State chapter of our great party orchestrated by Governor Abiola Ajimobi and his cronies.
“This undemocratic action of the Governor has cost our dear party as we lost every election since 2015 when Ajimobi won his re-election bid. Since his emergence, he has alienated the majority of members, stakeholders and elders of the party. He has run the party like a fiefdom where only his opinion counts.
“The party lost the by-election conducted in August 2016 in Oorelope State Constituency following the death of a lawmaker. The party also lost the by-election conducted on June 2, 2018, in Ibarapa East following the death of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Michael Adeyemo.”
This is the second time Shittu will be writing a letter protesting Ajimobi’s leadership of the party in Oyo.
In a similar letter in january 2018, he had written: "I am constrained to bring to your notice the unsavoury development in our great party in Oyo State and the unbecoming behaviour of Governor Abiola Ajimobi, who is expected to provide sound moral and exemplary leadership to the citizens of our dear state.
“This line of action becomes imperative in view of the sad turn of events in the Oyo State APC. It is an open secret that the fortune of the APC has nose-dived in the state due to Governor Ajimobi’s undue arrogance, grandstanding, nepotism, caustic and unguarded utterances and creating unnecessary divisions among party leaders and members, thereby balkanising the party along group lines.
“In doing this, I don’t have anything personal against Governor Ajimobi, but to stress the importance of him not destroying the very platform that made him governor. The signs that Ajimobi is set to destroy the party are glaring to political watchers as the voting population in the state is becoming disillusioned more than ever before.”