‘I would rather Quit Politics than to Compromise West Agenda’ – Najeem Salam

Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Hon Najeem Salam ,who also a governorship aspirant for the September 22 gubernatorial election, has declared that he would rather quit politics than to compromise his principle on the need for West Senatorial District to produce the next governor of the state.

Salam in a press statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Goke Butika on Sunday, denied the rumour that he has abandoned his governorship aspiration, and that he has compromised the west agenda advocacy.

The speaker spoke in response to the insinuations on his meeting with National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, Governor Rauf Aregbesola and Osun State APC Chairman, Prince Gboyega Famodun on Saturday.

According to report, Tinubu reportedly persuaded Salam to step down for his favourite aspirant, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola whose sobriquet is Ileri Oluwa.

While at the meeting, rumour had spread across the length and breath of the state that Salam has compromised, and had agreed to step down for Oyetola.

But few minute after the meeting ended, Salam wrote on his facebook account: “No Retreat, No Surrender: On West Agenda I stand.”

However, Salam in the press statement said it was not true that Tinubu has ordered him to step down for anyone on his governorship ambition, asserting that he would rather quit politics for any other rewarding job than to compromise his principle on the ground of material inducement.

The Speaker then charged his political canvassers, associates and allies to ignore the twisted narrative on the social media that falsely claimed he has abandoned his governorship ambition for any reason, explaining that he will brief stakeholders and the forum of the governorship aspirants from Osun West when he returns from leaser hajj about the development at the meeting.

“We have successful deliberations on some issues relating to political development, particularly the development in our party (APC) in our state at the Lagos meeting and I attended the meeting on my capacity as the Speaker of the state parliament not as governorship aspirant and I owe it a duty to brief stakeholders, my campaign structure and the forum of Osun West governorship aspirants in which I was made to coordinate on the issues discussed when I return from leaser hajj”, Salaam reiterated.