LG polls: Crisis rocks Ogun APC over alleged selection of candidate


Crisis seems to be looming in Ogun state All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the local government elections as aspirants in Obafemi-Owode Local Government area of the state took to the street to protest the selection of a Chairmanship candidate battling certificate forgery scandal.


The protesters who storm the premises of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Iwe Iroyin, Oke Ilewo, Abeokuta Weekend, bearing different placard with inscriptions, lamented that “a suspected fraudster had been chosen by the party for Obafemi/Owode Local Government.”


It was gathered that Ogunsola had been accused of submitting to the the party, a statement of result said to have been issued by the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, stating in his Expression of Interest form (APC/OGS/2021/No 0000058) as well as in his curriculum vitae that he enrolled in the university in 1997 and finished as a graduate of Philosophy in the year 2002.


However, a letter which was said to have emanated from OOU denied Ogunsola’s studentship claim, saying “the purported statement of result of Ogunsola, Adesina Lanre did not emanate from the university.”


The letter, which was addressed to the Secretary of the APC Screening Committee in Obafemi/Owode Local Government, was reportedly signed by the Deputy (Academic Affairs) Mrs Y. O. Ogunsanwo on May 24, 2021.


Addressing newsmen at the protest, one of the aggrieved aspirants, Odunkunle Babajide faulted the candidature of Adeshina Ogunshola who he said submitted a forged certificate.


Babajide, who was in company of other aspirants from the local government, said Ogunshola claimed to have bagged a Bachelor of Art degree in Philosophy from the OOU, saying, however, that their findings have shown that the candidate did not graduate from the university.


He stated, “He presented a notification of result to that effect. The university had on more than one occasion said that the said notification of result did not emanate from them.”


In their message to Governor Dapo Abiodun, they said, “Your Excellency, you would recall that among other things, you listed honesty, integrity and reliability as the qualities you are looking forward to in whosoever would be selected as candidates in this election. We make bold to say that this is not the case as far as Obafemi-Owode is concerned. It is a shame.”