REMOVAL OF AKALA WAS AN IBADAN ELDERS' PROJECT--ALLI

Former Secretary to Oyo-State government Barrister Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli has said that the ousting of former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala was a project of Ibadan elders.

Alli who is the Chairman of the Odu’a Investment Company Limited also disclosed that he never abandoned his former boss and uncle Senator Rashidi Ladoja by defecting to the Action Congress of Nigeria.

He stated this while playing host to members of the Oyo state Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) during Ramadan breaking of fast.

According to him, the ambition of ladoja to return to government was seen a calculated vengeance mission against those who impeached him from office which would affect the overall victory against Akala. 

Alli, who defected from the Ladoja camp at the twilight of the 2011 general elections said Ladoja's govenorship ambition was at cross purpose to the Ibadan project of removing Akala from office.

on the state of affairs in the state, the ACN Chieftain lamented that Oyo state is quite distant from where it ought to be in terms of infrastructural development despite the giant strides of Governor Abiola Ajimobi owing to the complexity in the state and its vastness.

We are still quite distant from where we are supposed to be in oyo state but we must be mindful of the fact that Oyo state is very difficult to govern. Governor Abiola Ajimobi is doing quality job in the state now. I have learnt enough from my participation in governance at various level to bring experience to bear and correct the mistakes of the past. I have been a stakeholder in Oyo politics in or out of government. I know Oyo state is complex and difficult to administer.

I never abandoned ladoja during the last polls. We had a project at hand and the project was that Akala must go. I was called by Ibadan leaders and given an assignment. It was apparent that there was problem in the state and i was part of it owing to the post I held in previous government. It would have been better if he could put somebody down for us to make the fight victorious. We needed to pull him down. We felt Ladoja’s return would be a vengeance mission owing to the way he was impeached and returned to government. That would have dragged us back the more and make the state go backward. We may also not achieve more. We have now achieved our aim. Where would we have been if akala had defeated us. Certainly some of us would have to leave the state. Ladoja is a fantastic man and intelligent but we needed to break away from the way we were doing things in the past and chart a positive way towards development. Ibadan leaders came together and gave me the assignment. I am happy we are better for it today not minding the position I hold in the government. The ultimate aim was that Akala must go and God made it happen. I never abandoned Ladoja. He is my uncle and leader.