I didn’t step down to become DG campaign committee

•••Says he would have supported Abraham If

The Ikare Akoko born politician, Barrister Rasheed Olarewaju Kazeem who is one of the All Progressives Congress, APC Unity Forum Aspirants has said he didn’t step-down his governorship ambition to support Olusola Oke as reported in the media.

Kazeem who was recently appointed as the Director General, DG primary elections campaign committee for Olusola Oke told Kakaki Newspot that he didn’t step down to take the position but did that based on agreement that all the 10 Unity Forum aspirants would be ready to support whoever that emerge as the consensus candidate.

His appointment which was contained in a press statement signed by the Publicity Director of the Olusola Oke primary elections campaign committee, Rotimi Ogunleye, Kazeem said, If the press statement is not correct, his rejoinder would have been seen. you would have seen my rejoinder.

According to him, “I belong to the Unity Forum, I didn’t step down for anybody, during our we have aspirants meeting, we agreed that if one of us is picked, all of us will work for that person.

“The leadership of the forum gave us the opportunity to pick one from among us but we were unable to do that, eventually we asked the leaders to pick for us, after which we were interviewed and made to submit our position paper, that we’ll be ready to support whoever that emerge as the consensus candidate.

“Based on that, the seven man panel and the leadership of the Unity Forum swung into action, we were interviewed and made us to submit our position paper, on what we’ll do if made the forum’s concensus candidate and if not.

“In taking this unanimous decision, all the 10 aspirants agreed to accept the candidate recommended by the committee.

“Consequently, on March 24, 2020, six committee members met and one was unavoidably absent. They debated on the issue of presenting a candidate, in line with the committee’s terms of reference and the aspirants’ concurrence.

“So, four of the six members voted for Chief Olusola Oke (SAN), while one of them, Professor Ehindero, voted for a technocrat from Owo and wife of the former Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Kemi Iyantan voted for a female aspirant, Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose Ajasin.

“I confronted them on how they arrived at the results, the Secretary said they were asked for their preference.”

However, Barrister Rasheed Olarewaju Kazeem stated further that when Olusola Oke was announced, he had no difficulty supporting him, based on the gentle man deal strucked that whoever emerged would be supported.

The former Commissioner for Agric stressed that his promises, anything that comes out from his mouth as a Muslim are his bounds. He said, “when other colleagues were asking from me, I told them my words are my bounds, I am a Muslim, whatever came out of a Muslim person should be respected.

“Nobody voted for me, if we (the aspirants) were asked to vote, I would have voted for myself and that of Oke would have increased to five and nobody would have gotten zero.

“So, that doesn’t mean I step down for Olusola Oke. There was an election, after I have lost the election as an individual, I would be a fool to be fighting again, because man proposes, God disposes”

Kazeem’s appointment as the DG for Olusola Oke has also recorded a lot of criticism from Akoko especially Ikare, that he’s supporting another aspirant at the expense of his kinsman, Chief Olusegun Abraham.

The lawyer however noted that he would have supported his kinsman, Dr. Olusegun Abraham if he was picked as the consensus candidate of the Unity Forum.

He said, “I have explained to my kinsmen, myself and Segun Abraham were the only aspirants from the whole of Akoko, and we belong to Unity Forum, he was the chairman of the aspirants, I didn’t only supported him to be the chairman but instrumental to that.

“Under his Chairmanship we were unable to produce a consensus candidate, we both participated in an election, myself and Olusegun Abraham, we both lost in the election which was conducted by the committee, Mrs. Anifowose lost, Adetula lost, Adelegan lost, Awodeyi lost, Ife Oyedele lost, Oke won, it’s senseless for anybody to say that am not supporting Abraham.

“Was Segun Abraham picked, what affected him affected me, so, Segun Abraham can’t say am not supporting him, I wouldn’t have said he’s not supporting me either because non of us win the contest.

“If Segun Abraham had been picked by the Unity Forum, fine, I’ll even appoint myself as the campaign DG for him. I was instrumental to his Chairmanship of the Aspirants forum. So, if anybody is saying that am not supporting him, such is not talking sense, why would I support somebody that was not picked. And in my case, I have not opted out of Unity Forum. I am still in the Unity Forum, I believe in the leadership of Alhaji Ali Olanusi.”