Ajimobi’s in-law, Ladoja’s protégé claim victory over APC Oyo South senatorial ticket

• I’m winner, says ex-gov’s political son
• I remain the party’s candidate, Ajimobi’s in-law insists

The son-in-law of the late former Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Mr. Kolapo Kola-Daisi, and a political protégé of former Governor Rashidi Ladoja, Sarafadeen Alli, are laying claim to the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Oyo South Senatorial District.

The primary, which could not hold on Friday as earlier planned, was rescheduled for Saturday and later Sunday due to the inability of the aspirants and party leadership to resolve the discrepancies that arose on the delegates’ list.

Kola-Daisi, on May 30, 2022, issued a statement claiming that he had won the ticket of the party for the senatorial district.

In the statement, the 43-year-old financial expert, who is the son of foremost Nigerian industrialist, Bashorun Kola-Daisi, said he polled 212 votes to defeat the incumbent, Kola Balogun and others.

However, on Wednesday, another story emanated that a former Secretary to Oyo State Government, Sharafadeen Alli, had won the party’s ticket in Oyo South Senatorial District.

The re-run primary election was said to have been held on Tuesday afternoon at an event centre in Bodija Ibadan.

According to the report, Alli emerged as the APC candidate in Oyo South during the re-run primary election held on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Kola-Daisi, yesterday, distanced himself from the re-run primary results, insisting that he remains the candidate of the party for the 2023 poll.

The 43-year-son-in-law of the late Ajimobi said he did not participate in the rescheduled primaries because he had already won the election on May 29, 2022, the day the party slated and conducted the election.

He disagreed and rejected the votes, saying the manner with which the initial election was cancelled and the arbitrary way a re-run was scheduled within 24 hours without a petition does not suggest fairness.

Kola-Daisi, in an address to the party delegates, his supporters, party leadership and other stakeholders said the events of the last few days had shown that many youths were left disenfranchised and apathetic towards politics.

He, however, assured his supporters that he would not be distracted by the event, urging all other youths not to be discouraged from joining the train.