The Ondo Chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) is currently enmeshed in a crisis that can tear the party apart in the state as two respectable figure-heads of the party are currently at each other’s throat in what seem to be a fight for supremacy and relevance.
Ali Olanusi who is a member of the APC Board of Trustees has accused the governor of the state, Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu of haven worked against the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari in the just concluded presidential election in the state.
In what he described as anti-party activities, Ali Olanusi accused Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu and majority of his supporters of teaming up with some members of Action Alliance Party during the just concluded series of elections.
Ali Olanusi stated that the attitude of the governor towards the party during the just concluded elections in the state has shown that he is not fit to be a flagbearer of the state during the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state in 2020.
In reaction to Ali Olanusi comments, the Ondo Chapter of the APC on Thursday, 4th April, 2019 has refuted allegations leveled against Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu and accused Ali Olanusi of trumping up stories which are unreal, which are just figment of Ali Olanusi’s imagination.
The Ondo State Chapter of the APC in a statement signed by its Director of Publicity, Steve Otaloro, has stated that Ali Olanusi has always been at loggerheads with the Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu and the leadership of the party in the state and as such cannot give a fair judgement of anything done in the state or by the state governor or the Ondo State Chapter of the APC.
The Ondo State Chapter of the APC also stated that the statement of Ali Olanusi, has just brought to the public domain his secret agitations against Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu who had repeatedly refused to dance to his tune in matters concerning the governance of the state.
Ali Olanusi has been accused by the Ondo State Chapter of the APC of failing to acknowledge the favour he had received from the APC-led government in state. The Ondo State Chapter of the APC alleged that Ali Olanusi received millions of naira from the present government as accumulated salaries after he was removed from office by the past administration.
Ali Olanusi was also accused of turning himself into a critic of the APC-led government in Ondo State after the government refused to grant his request for more money outside the benefits directed by the court.
The Ondo State Chapter of the APC also refuted his claims that Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu and some APC faithfuls in the state were working for Action Alliance and against President Muhammadu Buhari and other APC candidates in the just concluded series of elections. The state chapter of the APC even accused him of being the one working for Action Alliance as his constituency is among the two constituencies which were won by the Action Alliance in the just concluded series of elections in the state.
The Ondo State Chapter of the APC also claimed that they are aware of the scheming of Ali Olanusi of heating up the polity in the state and his plans to present a puppet candidate ahead of the 2020 gubernatorial election in the state.
The Ondo State Chapter of the APC has also stated that they have on record that Ali Olanusi is an unrepentant troublemaker by stating that he has always had issues with the past governors of the state. The state chapter of the APC stated that Ali Olanusi was at loggerheads with Chief Adebayo Adefarati, Dr Olusegun Agagu, and Dr Olusegun Mimiko. A situation which the state chapter of the APC described as worrisome and unexpected for an elder statesman of his calibre as a former Deputy Governor and a prestigious member of the APC Board of Trustees.
