Oyo APPPS to Ajimobi: You are a fantastic failure; governor vows to impose successor, may go to Senate in 2019

The Association of Progressive Political Parties, Oyo State (OYO APPPS) has described Governor Abiola Ajimobi as “a fantastic failure”.
This was contained in a statement by the Chairman, Mr. David Akinola of the People for Democratic Change (PDC), Secretary, Mr. Olaitan Oladunni of the Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP) and Public Relations Officer, Mr. Tolulope Adedoyin of the African Peoples Alliance Party (APA) in Ibadan, Oyo State capital after an emergency meeting to mark this year’s Democracy Day.
Akinola, the chairman of the group, said: “Our governor has failed to do most of the agenda he promised during the heated campaign in 2015. Ajimobi has made a number of promises particularly on workers’ welfare and salaries and we have not seen any tangible accomplishment on this. We have examined the governor on his promises and works, and we have scored him below average.
“We want the governor to tell Oyo State citizens how much he has received as allocation and what project he did with it. We challenge him to come and give account of his stewardship in the last two years of his reelection as the executive governor of the state”, Oladuni added.
In his contribution, Adedoyin said: “The governor has been lavishing public funds on unnecessary projects, throwing indiscriminate millions on personal projects with state funds and watching education decaying. Where does the governor spend mountain of tax payers’ money and the federal allocation? The local government election he promised to conduct was a sham. He wasted all our resources and denied political parties their democratic rights”.
Oyo APPPS, however, warned the governor to stop mentioning reduction in federal allocation for his shortcomings.
Meanwhile, the governor has vowed to impose his successor in 2019.
He also said he would unveil the successor in May 2018, urging the people to be patient.
Ajimobi stated this in Ibadan during an interactive session with newsmen to mark `Democracy Day’ and his administration’s sixth anniversary.
Ajimobi’s second term will end on May 29, 2019.
He said that his administration had set the standard “that makes the governorship seat of the state too big for just anyone to occupy”.
According to him, “Oyo is one of the best managed states financially. I am also the most prudent governor in Nigeria.
“Our achievements are very glaring for the people to see.
“Let me tell you that the standard we have set was a reason for 34 aspirants now jostling to succeed me under the platform of APC.
“I have seen about five people who have the potential to succeed me. I will let you know whoever will be my successor by May next year,’’ he said.
The governor said whoever that would succeed him must be fearless, intellectually sound, courageous and compassionate, adding that the person must be ready to give priority to the welfare of the people.
However, the governor on Monday made U-turn as he said that he might consider contesting for Oyo South Senatorial District after completing his tenure as governor in 2019.
The governor had on several occasions stated that he would not contest any political position after his tenure as governor of the state in 2019.
Ajimobi was Deputy Minority Whip of the upper chamber from 2003 to 2007 on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).
The new declaration by the governor might pitch him against the incumbent, Sen. Adesoji Akanbi (APC-Oyo South), who was being rumoured, may be contesting the governorship seat.
Ajimobi condemned the speculations that the state was indebted to the tune of N150 billion, saying that the debt profile of the state was not beyond N4.8 billion.
The governor stated that the Federal Government should encourage fiscal federalism, which allowed states to grow at their own pace.
“Fundamentally, we need financial restructuring. The federal exclusive list should be reviewed. It is difficult to say five out of the 36 states are viable without federal allocation, ’he said.
He stated that the state government now received an average of N2.6 billion as monthly federal allocation, unlike the N5.2 billion it was receiving when his administration came on board.
Ajimobi said: “The state receives N2.6 billion monthly federal allocations and generates between N2.2 billion to N2.5 billion as Internally Generated Revenue to take care of N4.5 billion wage bill.”
The governor advocated for state police, saying there is the need to decentralise the security network in the country with the exception of the military.