Our fathers not your type, Ajasins, Adefaratis tell Oke

The Ajasins and Adefaratis have told Olusola Oke, Ondo governorship candidate of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, to stop campaigning with their patriarchs’ names. Oke, according to a joint statement from the two families, had claimed he shared similar beliefs as the two former governors Adekunle Ajasin and Adebayo Adefarati.

Gboyega Adefarati, on behalf of the families, Tuesday, said, “We take exception to Oke’s claim in political jingles on radio and television and his misleading political campaigns that his political philosophy represented our fathers’ political identities, including claims that our late fathers’ families have endorsed him as the governorship candidate of Ondo State.

“This is clearly a fraud. Nobody in the families of the late leaders ever endorsed Oke because the AD’s candidate has nothing in common with our fathers.

“Ajasin and Adefarati never flirted with the ruling party before they became governors of the Sunshine State; all they did was to remain in their political camps to realise their ambitions without jumping around for fortunes like Oke is now doing by running away from the PDP after the party lost the presidential election in 2015.

“Our fathers also did not have any criminal records as Oke is being alleged by his people that he diverted NDDC’s N155m to his private pocket after allegedly using a non-existent community called Ubaeripato to allegedly fund non-existent projects to fleece the people of the Niger Delta of the money meant for their communities’ development.

“It is on this note that we warn Oke to stop dropping the names of our fathers because he has nothing in common with our noble fathers and the families will never under any circumstance endorse Oke for any leadership position in the state because of his moral burden and political records.”

The denunciation did not go unreplied. Kola Olabisi. Chairman, media and publicity, Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation, said Gboyega Adefarati being a member of the All Progressives Congress was motivated by a selfish reason.

“Gboyega Adefarati has sold his father’s birthright. He should keep quiet. His father’s bosom friend, Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa was here yesterday (Monday). He made his father the Presidential Candidate of AD before his demise. He was here yesterday telling the people that this is the party of Baba Adefarati, Baba Ajasin and Awolowo and that Action Group that later metamorphosed into AD was founded in Owo in Ondo State.

“When a son is now denying his father, then the whole world should know that he is not a true son of his father. He is a young man, who had pitched his tent with the people who are dancing on his father’s grave. It is very unfortunate that he has shunned the people and the party that made his father governor.

“The National Leader of AD has spoken in Ondo State, then who is Gboyega Adefarati?. We are not joining issues with Adefarati and Ajasin’s family because we respect the families so much.”