A GROUP, Oyo Solidarity Group, Ibadan yesterday applauded the nomination of Adebayo Shittu, as a minister by President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as a great feat in Oyo State.

The group in a statement by its President, Teju Olateju, described the development as good news to the people of Oyo and Oke-Ogun in particular.
But the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State has rejected his nomination saying he is unacceptable to the “vast majority of our people”
In a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari, the party claimed that the ministerial nominee is not a team player pointing out that Shittu has refused to participate in all party activities.

According to the group, Shittu’s nomination was President Buhari’s display of fairness in appointments. This is a well-deserved slot for Oke-Ogun, the second largest zone in Oyo State after Ibadan.

The hope is that the National Assembly will uphold the merit of the nomination. The ‘go-slow’ approach of the president has truly allowed him to sincerely discover the high level of Oke-Ogun marginalisation and underdevelopment, their great support for the party and the well-deserved representation of Oyo State in his cabinet,” the statement added.

While expressing dismay over publications in some newspapers of Monday, 5th October, 2015 written by the leadership of the Central Working Committee of Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC) on “Marginalisation of the Party” concerning this nomination, the group said the publications deserved response, before the current ‘CHANGE’ process is brought to disrepute by what they considered an unfortunate display of ineptness on the part of a few, and that Mr. President, members of the National Assembly and Nigerians may understand what is happening.

For 21st century compliant democrats and positive change advocates, the issue should be that: Was Oyo State given a ministerial slot? If given, where is the marginalisation?
“Is the nominee from Oyo State? If yes, is any marginalisation at play? Is the nominee constitutionally qualified to serve the nation in the federal cabinet? Maybe the publication was written to let Nigerians know that their definition of marginalisation is when they could not have their usual way of denying others, otherwise, such write-up is unwarranted because it is not issue-based.”

The APC in the petition signed by the State Chairman and Secretary, Chief Akin Oke and Hon. Mojeed Olaoya, accused Shittu of engaging in anti-party activities saying he had taken the party to court on three different occasions in respect of party primaries and congresses
“We like to place it on record that during the 2015 presidential election, Barrister Shittu was a lone ranger and that our party did not feel his impact for once, while we have it on good authority that he worked for the opposition during the last governorship election in Oyo State”, the party said