Dear Brother Bayo Kopemeji,
I deeply appreciate your commendation and shared testaments to my roles as a loyal and committed member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) preceding my election as the Party Chairman of Ilorin East LGA. It clearly shows that you may from personal or secondary experience closely followed my activities and as expected should have been able to have the right perception about the man, Comr. Habib Lawal Ajibola and the events you referenced in the successive paragraphs of your open letter in an attempt to water down a situation that every well meaning member of our Party, APC should and has condemed in it’s enterity.
” No Election is worth the sacrifice of the peace of a Nation or the blood of any Citizen ”
Getting to some of the issues you raised worthy of a response not necessarily to you but Kwarans and APC Members whom you have attempted to misinform :
I am a successful yet contented Businessman by the grace of Almighty Allah and many well meaning members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ilorin East and across Kwara would testify that I spent my hard earned personal resources in supporting the activities and progress of the Kwara APC evidences are there for you to see and I will not desist from doing that . I also do not have the antecedent of asking favours from Politicians, accepting gratification of any kind in exchange of favours and treating people unjustly is not in my character and I have always stood against people who defy justice for personal gain in my activities across socio-political lines. As a devoted Muslim, the values of justice, empathy and love for others matter to me.
Regarding your allegations of my involvement in extortion of some sort with Aspirants (You didn’t mention names, I wish you did) during the Primary Elections, I beg to differ completely as I did dutifully only my responsibility as an official in the Primary election. I did not request nor collect illegally any monies from any Aspirants promising to deliver mandates that clearly belong to the people to them. This again is another wrong narrative which you have attempted to dent my integrity with in a bid to achieve what ever gains I may not be able to fathom at this material time.
Your assertion that I am obsessed with money and I am Politically inexperienced is really laughable considering that you have affirmed in the introduction to your letter how much impact I have made and the many sacrifices I have given for the APC in Kwara even when it was unfashionable to do so for many and Just to update your knowledge, I have over a decade (10 years) of experience as a grassroots Politician and I have successfully held vital positions at different times leaving my mark and antecedents to speak for my capacity as a results oriented leader. Prior to joining the APC in 2015, I was a devoted member of the opposition and fought tirelessly alongside leaders of our party to achieve the Otoge’revolution.
As Party Chairman, I have always operated an open door policy with all members of the APC in Ilorin East. This did not change during the elections as all Aspirants on the platform of the APC were given a level playing ground not only to aspire but also consult widely with the people. It is on record that I and my Executives honoured and even attended rallies/meetings organised by House of Assembly and National Assembly hopefuls as well as activities organised by even Party Members.
Our disposition as leaders of the party at the Local Government as expected was neutral and all Aspirants were all accepted and charged to go out and canvass for support. This is the standard any where in the world for anyone holding the position I currently have in an election like what we just had.
It doesn’t make rational sense to allege that I change my opinion on which candidates to support based on convenience. As earlier stated, my affiliation with Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe or any other Politician who participated in the Primary elections was not on partisan grounds. I am a Party Chairman for Ilorin East which falls within the juridiction within which the Distinguished Senator and other Aspirants were running for elections, they would naturally have consulted me, but my disposition was never bias at any point and if there’s any proof that I took bribes and gratification which I have betrayed through my resolve to stay neutral. You or anyone else is welcome to make it public.
For someone who spoke so highly of my Political inexperience, I would expect that you will be intelligent enough to know that it is immoral and unacceptable for Me to have supported a Candidate from another Local Government for a position that has loyal and committed members of the party structure I lead also contesting. So I do not apologise to you if you feel disappointed that I did what was only right by ensuring that Ilorin East comes first in the disposition of my duties to the APC.
I have no reason to blackmail Amb. AbdulFatai Yahaya Gambari as being the person behind the serial attacks on you, He is a leader and loyal party Member whom I hold in high esteem. This however would not absolve him from wrong doing if it was his lieutenants who attacked me in reaction to his loss at the Primaries. Their actions have put his name and integrity on the line and so has the integrity of any other APC party member who is behind any of the attacks. I am confident that the outcome of the investigations ongoing will absolve those innocent and indict the guilty. In compliance with the law, untill the investigations are completed, every possible suspect is innocent and guilty.
Your letter goes on to in error again make complaints about Me single handely changing the Delegates list used for the Primaries. This only shows how much you lack information about how well structured the APC functions. Delegates who participated in the Primaries were duly selected and registered with the Party days before the Primaries and accreditation of the verifed list of Delegates was thoroughly done. As it is normal, people like you would always come out to make baseless accusations like this. I’ll like to know in your reply to this letter hopefully if you were a Delegate and your name was replaced or any Member or even a close friend has petitioned their substitution from the Primary electoral process. Does some this allegations not sound funny even to you right now?
Those who vote have the previlege to decide and those who aspire can only canvass and wait for the outcome of votes cast. I had no power to influence the outcome of the election in anyone’s favour beyond giving all Aspirants a level playing ground to test their popularity as charged by the Leader of our great Party, His Excellency Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and Chairman of Kwara APC, Prince Sunday Fagbemi.
Celebrating the serial sponsored attacks against me by APC Members is indeed very shocking as it defies the virtues of love and solidarity that our party shares. However, It further reveals your true nature as a dishonourable Pen warrior for some of the negative elements within our party who have failed in their attempts to take my life.
This outing of yours aimed at blackmailing me and the All Progressives Congress (APC) lacks momentum and you may have to recalibrate to try again. The reckless attacks at me are verifiable and are currently under investigation by law enforcement agencies and our great party to find those responsible for possible disciplinary action. I am excited though that their work and mine has been made easier because you have tendered in evidence facts that you know those behind the attacks and of course you will be providing that information to prove your case against Me.
It’s been over 72 hours after the APC Primaries conducted across Kwara State and no Aspirant has petitioned the process which I administered on grounds of impersonation, fraud or any other basis for which you seem to be speaking on their behalf.
All Kwarans know that I am a devoted loyalist of His Excellency, Gov. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and for his cause which is always in the genuine interest of Kwarans, I will always align. This pure love for the leader of our great party has earned me many friends and enemies. I completely accept this reality but wish to reiterate yet again that no amount of assault will make me conform to ideas that will surchange the people of Ilorin East, Kwara State and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
So against your false conviction that my actions are an embarassment and disgrace to the Governor and Party, I am not sure those you speak for will agree with you in any measure atall.
I would conclude by again reminding you that for all we do, we will answer before our creator, only Almighty Allah gives life and has the right to take it in his justice. If by doing the duties I swore an oath to do as Party Chairman I have offended people, this is an eventuality that is normal in a world where doing the right thing doesn’t sit well with alot of people. I will not change to satisfy you and your co-horts who believe our Democracy is a joke and would endorse irrational reactions like the destruction of lives and properties as the best way to express dissatisfaction in a process that many have come out to applaud.
I’ll make an open invitation you My Brother to visit me at your earliest convenience so I can do justice to the many issues you need to be schooled on and provided mentorship to deeply under and appreciate the history of our party and why been objective in your approach to adjudication in a matter like this of the essence.
Remain assured of my best wishes!
So far so good, ko ni baje… this too shall pass!
