Former Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Agboola Ajayi, has warned the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against violating the rotation agreement between the Arogbo and Apoi people of the Ese-Odo Local Government Area of the state.
Ajayi, in a statement, said that since the Apoi person is completing his tenure as a lawmaker of the State House of Assembly, it is the turn of the Arogbo-Ijaw axis to produce his successor, in line with the arrangement in the local government.
In a statement, Ajayi said in Ese-Odo Local Government, the issue of power rotation between Apoi and Arogbo is to allow peace to reign, not to create political chaos and mistrust between the two ethnic groups.
He said, “I was part of that arrangement then alongside some of our notable leaders; some are gone to rest with the Lord now, while many of us are still alive till date. We, as leaders at the moment, will continue to protect this arrangement.
“The arrangement was arrived at for our political convenience, it subsists to date, and it has been respected by all those involved; I believe it will continue for a long time to come. I was a beneficiary of that arrangement when I was elected as Ese-Odo Local Government Chairman in 2003-2007.
“I remember few years back when some leaders tried to circumvent this arrangement some of our leaders in PDP tried to force and alter the arrangement, they tried to muscle their ways to making PDP candidate for House of Assembly while Arogbo man, my late Boss, was still the Chairman of Ese-Odo Local government Council, Late Dr Francis Ajih of Blessed Memory, they still want to use an Arogbo man as House of Assembly member against the arrangement.
“This was resisted by all across party lines, and everybody, either in PDP or AD, then voted en masse for AD to make Late Hon Earnest Anifowose a member of the House of Assembly from Apoi (Ojuala) to keep the sanctity of that arrangement intact, thwarting a likely disunity between us
“I am particularly happy with various calls and text messages from our peace-loving people from Ese-Odo already opposing this proposed unhealthy arrangement.
Notable individuals have publicly come out to oppose the devilish plan by some leaders not to alter the arrangement when it comes to the matter of the House of Assembly in Ese Odo Local Government at the moment.
“My dear brother, Hon Toyin Allen, please don’t allow yourself to be used to disrupt the peaceful coexistence between Apoi and Arogbo. Your name has been written in gold, and that name must not be allowed to be written otherwise again.
“As one of the leaders who was part of that arrangement then, I want to say without any fear of contradiction from any angle that we must at all time keep to this arrangement that has produced peacef coexistence between Apoi and Arogbo and that nobody, no matter how he or she is highly placed would be allowed to alter this arrangement for his or h selfish political interest at the moment or in the futue, our children and grandchildren would continue to key into this for peace to reign in our domain.
“I want to use this medium to appeal to all political gladiators in Ese Odo LG to let us continue in this spirit of oneness and not to allow any selfish ambition, external or internal conspiracy to alter this arrangement because it might spell doom for us all as it might lead to a crisis that we would not be able to manage between two brothers.”
Ajayi implored the political gladiators to play the political game according to the rules, allow reasons to prevail, and the conventional political arrangement to continue to lead the people on the path of peace, as nobody, I believe, would want to be an outcast in his or her community.
