—–Emergence of Osun Nominee Causes rift. —as he was not from any political party, picked on merit

The emergence of Professor Isaac Adewole as the minister nominee has triggered confusion within All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun state as he was not picked from the party but emerged on merit as an academician.

However, the intellectual consideration which was used in picking Adewole was earlier noted by the president that academicians would be included in the ministerial list.

Investigation by our correspondent yesterday indicated that the Osun nominee hailed from Ilesa and went to Ilesa Grammar School, contrary to allegation by a political group that he is from Ipole-Ekiti in Ekiti State.

The renowned Professor of Medicine, who is an outgoing Vice-Chancellor of University of Ibadan, also attended University of Ibadan and graduated as the best student with aggregate six, grade one, in Medicine, at the age of 23.

It was further gathered that his tenure as the VC of University of Ibadan was crisis free as a result of his administrative capacity for eight years.

It was gathered that the ministerial nominee does not belong to any political party, but purely an academician whose nomination was based on his intellectual capacity.

Investigation further revealed that Professor Adewole was nominated by a third party who identified him like El-Rufai, Nuhu Ribadu and Okonjo Iweala were picked by President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Professor Adewole was said to be an asset not only to Osun state, but to Nigeria and that was why he was used by Professor Attahiru Jega as the Returning Officer for Lagos state election.

It would be recalled that a political group in Osun state “Reformers Group”, wrote a petition against Professor Adewole, alleging that he is neither a native of the state nor a member of the party in the state.

It was gathered that the group was formed by members of All Progressives Congress, APC, to prevent the nomination of the Professor because he was not picked from the party.

The group in a statement issued in the state capital, Osogbo and signed by one Comrade Ade Ajayi alleged that the former Vice Chancellor’s father is from ipole-Ekiti in Ekiti State and that he is only claiming to be from Ilesa where they settled, gave birth to him and he started his early education at Ilesa Grammar School, Ilesa.

The group also stated that “even if Prof Adewole is from Osun state, he is from the same Local Government Area as the present Governor of the state (Ilesa-East local government) and as such should be dropped the way the former nominee from Niger state was dropped for coming from the same local government like the sitting governor.

According to the group, “there are thirty local governments and an Area office spread across the three senatorial districts and it will be unfair for the Governor, Head of Service, Majority Leader of the State Assembly and now Minister to come from a local government while several others did not have a political appointee representing them.

“Also, the group claimed that from its findings prior to the mention of the Professor’s name, he has never associated with the party, nor take part in any party activities known to any party members across the state but was known to be a close ally of the former President.

The group then urged the President to replace the nominee with a party man and choose a man from another senatorial district in the state who would not be from Osun East.