<\/p>\n
I thank you for your letter dated August 14th, 2016 in response to mine of<\/p>\n
August 11th, 2016. Although much damage has actually been done to current<\/p>\n
party\u2019s interest in this serious governorship contest, I am grateful for<\/p>\n
the assurances (a) that Ondo State Governorship Primary will be FREE and<\/p>\n
FAIR devoid of UNDUE INFLUENCE. With this kind assurance, you may now<\/p>\n
wish, in the interest of FAIRNESS, to re-direct (i) The APC State Chairman<\/p>\n
(ii) The Chairman of the Chairmen of LGAs, (iii) The Chairman of Ward<\/p>\n
Chairmen all of who received the directives at the meeting held with you<\/p>\n
on 31.7.2016 to now focus on fair play at the governorship primary,<\/p>\n
instead of the candidate you gave them.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Please do note that in keeping with your instruction, they have begun an<\/p>\n
extensive scheme to ensure that the \u201cCandidate of the Party\u201d that is my<\/p>\n
brother Mr Segun Abraham whom you directed them to support wins by all<\/p>\n
means possible. In short contrary to this new assurance, they are exerting<\/p>\n
much \u201cUNDUE INFLUENCE\u201d on delegates to favour, unfairly the aspirant you<\/p>\n
presented to them to the detriment of peace, order and good Party process<\/p>\n
and leadership and especially the just interest of other Aspirants in Ondo<\/p>\n
state<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now Asiwaju coming to the content of your letter to wit:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cIn your pursuit of office, you have sought my support and influence. When<\/p>\n
you sought that support, you thought it proper and democratic to do so. If<\/p>\n
I had signaled my support for you, I am sure that you would never have<\/p>\n
written this letter alleging that I was undermining the democratic will of<\/p>\n
the people. You would have been pleased with me, I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I must express great surprise at this representation. While a number of<\/p>\n
Aspirants as it was their prerogative visited or approached you, in this<\/p>\n
season of politics, perhaps for support, with public celebration and<\/p>\n
photo-taking in many cases, I have NEVER done so. Further, I observed in<\/p>\n
your letter that you neither provided details of any, such visit or<\/p>\n
representation for support such as time or place, mode or manner or your<\/p>\n
hallowed response to my search for your support such as time or place,<\/p>\n
mode or manner or your hallowed response to my search for your support as<\/p>\n
the leader of our Party.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Since 2007 I have only discussed the issue of Ondo State governorship<\/p>\n
election with you on ONLY Two (2) occasions. The first was when you<\/p>\n
invited me to your house Bourdillon through Chief Pius Akinyelere (an Ondo<\/p>\n
State indigene) to release the news of the selection my friend Rotimi<\/p>\n
Akeredolu. The second was when I visited you in your freedom House office<\/p>\n
in 2012 to re-assure you, considering the defeat at the election in spite<\/p>\n
of all the money you spent.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As I noted in my letter of August 11th, 2016 I unequivocably disagreed<\/p>\n
disagreed with the method of selecting a candidate in the 2012 election as<\/p>\n
I believed it unfairly and unjustly titled the scale of fairness against<\/p>\n
all other competitors.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As a matter of fact I remember that immediately I left your house I called<\/p>\n
Mr. Akeredolu the then candidate selected by you, who is at any rate a<\/p>\n
close friend, to fully brief him on our discussion. I remember saying to<\/p>\n
him categorically then \u201cif I were you I would reject this selection and<\/p>\n
insist on fair primary.\u201d Believe me, if you make me the Party\u2019s candidate<\/p>\n
before a Primary I will reject such offer. I have never accepted a gain at<\/p>\n
the detriment of others. I just don\u2019t think it is proper or just to<\/p>\n
declare one of us in first position among examinees before we all enter<\/p>\n
the Hall.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
While I agree that you are entitled as a matter of right to support who<\/p>\n
you choose in the governorship contest including me, I hold the view that<\/p>\n
in your esteemed position as an examiner and considering the delicacy of<\/p>\n
the adventure in issue, especially the demonstrable consequences of<\/p>\n
electoral failure because of the character of our people in Ondo State, in<\/p>\n
the case of candidate imposition and especially when one reviews our<\/p>\n
party\u2019s poor performance on 2012, I would not expect that your personal<\/p>\n
preference for an Aspirant should be made the Party\u2019s candidate as you did<\/p>\n
in the meeting of 31.7.2016.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I maintain, based on the reliable information of attendees that your<\/p>\n
meeting with the party leaders go beyond mere \u201cpurported meeting\u201d or<\/p>\n
\u201cassembly and talk\u201d as observed in your letter. You told them who the<\/p>\n
candidate of the Party would be and directed them to work for him assuring<\/p>\n
them of your financial support. I maintain that considering that all<\/p>\n
Aspirants had all been subjected to the same processes including serious<\/p>\n
conditional payments, it would have been expected, that as a National<\/p>\n
leader of the APC and especially as you have at any rate severally assured<\/p>\n
many Aspirant who came to you, that the Party would guarantee to all,<\/p>\n
equal protection in the process, you would have refrained from directing<\/p>\n
the Party to support and Aspirant. Your summoning of party officials to<\/p>\n
the 31.7.2016 meeting and your instruction to them to work in support of<\/p>\n
one Aspirant in my humble view, violated the right to fairness. It<\/p>\n
amounted to undue influence to unjust favour an Aspirant. But we are<\/p>\n
grateful that you have now, happily given assurance in your letter to me<\/p>\n
to be fair to all Aspirants. Perhaps I need to add that the confusion in<\/p>\n
APC in Ondo State at the moment, like it was in ACN in 2012, emanated from<\/p>\n
the unfair directive you gave to the Party on 31.7.2016.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It follows in my humble view, that as a fair minded human rights activist<\/p>\n
whom you acknowledged, I should not be ponderous but pontifical in my<\/p>\n
search for the strength of justice in support of the right of our people<\/p>\n
and that of the Aspirants especially when as in the case, I am involved.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Asiwaju, I am afraid, I see fairness in your personal right to favour<\/p>\n
anyone you want, including me, but NOT, I regret in moving the Party to do<\/p>\n
so before a mandatory election Primary established by our Party\u2019s<\/p>\n
Constitution to raise a candidate among Aspirants.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
You will agree with me that since the defeat of the progressives in the<\/p>\n
2003 governorship election, no one has consistently dedicated his time,<\/p>\n
intellect, resources to the growth of the Progressive political partying<\/p>\n
in Ondo State more than me. For one, I am only one contesting and spending<\/p>\n
money for the contest for Governor for the third time. What often<\/p>\n
surprises me, however, is the tendency of leadership to leave us to<\/p>\n
struggle with the Party and when the time of election comes, they<\/p>\n
unalterably take-over and dictate to us who will be the candidate.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
So it is certainly not correct, am afraid to say as you claim that \u201cyour<\/p>\n
letter to me is an impetuous display unbecoming of a man of your status<\/p>\n
and a man seeking highest leadership position in his state.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
There is nothing with due respect, impulsive, hasty or rash in my<\/p>\n
complaints. They were based on facts and reason, they were meant to save<\/p>\n
the Party and people of Ondo State from yet another electoral failure<\/p>\n
judged by the character of Ondo State people. They were not at all<\/p>\n
\u201cimpetuous\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Asiwaju, one important attribute you displayed when you occupied the<\/p>\n
commission of the Governor of Lagos was the courage to stand up for<\/p>\n
something. I don\u2019t think it will be fair to me to use intimidating words<\/p>\n
such as:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of fighting me who is but one man with no vote, you should be<\/p>\n
fighting for votes and support. Your letter to me was woefully misplaced<\/p>\n
and inappropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I merely raised issues that deeply concern me and others in Ondo State, I<\/p>\n
mean issues in which you are involved with regard to fair contest in the<\/p>\n
coming primary. Where is fighting you in all of this? Have you thought it<\/p>\n
out that with the directive to the party chairmen you have unduly<\/p>\n
influenced the process and turned the expected primary to mere rituals<\/p>\n
that has pre-defeated the right of other Aspirants to fair play? I had<\/p>\n
honestly hoped you will reflect more on the content of my letter before<\/p>\n
your response.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I believe my letter was within fair comment on an important public issue<\/p>\n
that touches on the right of many, many citizens of Ondo State. It was not<\/p>\n
with due respect, in my view, \u201can impetous display\u201d or as noted in your<\/p>\n
letter \u201cunbecoming of a man seeking the highest office\u201d in Ondo State.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now Asiwaju, on the issue of 2015 Presidential election as it concerns<\/p>\n
President M. Buhari you appear to believe I referred to it to enhance<\/p>\n
myself. Far from it. First, let us not be too anxious to state how<\/p>\n
unimportant people are. What separates human being is opportunity. Let us<\/p>\n
also admit that in human evolutionary progression, often, great ideas come<\/p>\n
from sources we least expect. Having said that, please, I referred to the<\/p>\n
2015 election with regard to President M. Buhari, to affirm a great<\/p>\n
quality I observe in you which I am afraid I find to be absent in \u201cbig<\/p>\n
men.\u201d This is the quality to listen to a totally different opinion.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Please be assured that I claimed NOT and need no enhancement from that<\/p>\n
experience. I never need enhancement beyond the rights accorded me by my<\/p>\n
achievements all of which are often out of stubborn efforts.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I believe history and time have given me the opportunity to live well or<\/p>\n
poorly, succeed or fail, rise or fall, but in all ramifications I have<\/p>\n
achieved a high level of contentment through sincere struggle. No wonder I<\/p>\n
have always been able to take a position. For a human who enters the arena<\/p>\n
of life at a disadvantage at childhood, from a small community of Okeagbe<\/p>\n
in Ondo State, to have either served or been rewarded by 4 rated world<\/p>\n
Presidents, honoured by an ancient American University with world giants<\/p>\n
such as Prof. Julius Jacobson II (renowned inventor and world father of<\/p>\n
Microsurgery), Dr. David Liddle (founding father of computer revolution)<\/p>\n
among 9 world changing leaders in 2005 or enthroned to the Board of major<\/p>\n
world bodie like Robert Kennedy Center, I should be thankful that I have<\/p>\n
been beneficially enhanced by time.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Believe me I need no further enhancement through association with anyone,<\/p>\n
beyond the happiness and well-being of the people of Nigeria and the<\/p>\n
security of their right against the tempest of pitiless leadership in the<\/p>\n
land. I do not of course pretend to have influence on you and if I desire<\/p>\n
it at all, it can only be for the benefit of the people of Nigeria, NEVER,<\/p>\n
I repeat NEVER for my benefit.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I have NEVER, I repeat NEVER sought relationship for personal interest or<\/p>\n
benefit even when I was close to a strong Nigerian President in good<\/p>\n
times. That in fact may explain why I have NEVER, I repeat NEVER come to<\/p>\n
you for support for the only political office of my interest, which is the<\/p>\n
commission of Governor of Ondo State.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Well, I have said enough. We are both democrats. We both struggled for the<\/p>\n
liberty of our people. I believe an essential part of that struggle is<\/p>\n
their right to use their only political asset i.e.\u00a0 THE RIGHT TO VOTE in a<\/p>\n
way most conducive to their happiness. It is anti-democratic to promote<\/p>\n
government of leaders by leaders and for the benefit of leaders or to<\/p>\n
impose the will of leaders on the helpless masses. Moreover, the grievous<\/p>\n
pains and torment of development that have literally become the sad lot of<\/p>\n
the ordinary people in Nigeria since independence, have emerged from the<\/p>\n
dislocation of the common man\u2019s organic rights to every good and right by<\/p>\n
leadership. I will continue to stand against such dislocation<\/p>\n
notwithstanding the tempest of seasons and time. After all, I owe the<\/p>\n
common Nigerian citizen this duty. I was born by some of them.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Let us be true, beyond influence, beyond money, beyond process control,<\/p>\n
beyond directives to the ideals for which we both gave up our freedom in<\/p>\n
the past. Let us re-dedicate ourselves to the right of the people to<\/p>\n
freely and fairly constitute government over themselves.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Thank you, and may we honor our time and may our time honor us.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Your Friend and Admirer,<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
OLATUNJI O. ABAYOMI (DR)<\/p>\n
Barristers & Solicitors<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I thank you for your letter dated August 14th, 2016 in response to mine of August 11th, 2016. Although much damage has actually been done to current party\u2019s interest…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":52357,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n