One time chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Ogun State, Comrade Tunde Oladunjoye Sunday withdrew his membership of the party upon alleged threats to his life following what he claimed as his coerced endorsement of Abdulkadir Akinlade as the party’s consensus governorship candidate.

Oladunjoye, a former national publicity secretary of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR and deputy governorship canididate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in 2011 claimed yesterday that his endorsement of Akinlade was coerced through threats at a meeting between Governor Ibikunle Amosun and stakeholders of the APC on Saturday. His assertion was immediately debunked by the APC in the state who described his claims as lies.

“When the issue of Ogun East having to endorse the “Yewa Consensus Candidate” was raised by the Senatorial Chairman, Alhaji Yakubu, I raised my hand to speak after few speakers have spoken. As I stood up to speak, and in the open, the State Party Chairman, Chief Derin Adebiyi called me in the presence of everybody to come to the other side of the table where he sat with other leaders and whispered into my ears that I must praise the Governor and move motion of endorsement, else dire consequences await me. It was a threat I never expected and right there at the Government House, I had no choice than to do so-called endorsement under duress, as my life was under threat.

As a trained journalist, I was taught of “safety first.” “In a situation like this, I consider safety first. The general public should kindly disregard any purported moving of “motion” by me. It was a set-up backed with the force of threat. “I am also announcing my resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC), to face my professional calling fully as I have a second office address and cannot continue to endure with political shenanigans.

In a swift reaction, the State Publicity Secretary of APC, Chief Wole Elegbede, described Oladunjoye as having lied on the issue. Elegbede who said the allegations by Oladunjoye should not be taken seriously by right thinking people, describing them as falsehood. He said “APC in Ogun State would not have dignified Tunde Oladunjoye with this response but for the sake of members of the public who may take his allegation as the truth.

“His allegation should not be taken seriously by any right thinking person. He’s an unreliable person whose habit of telling lies is legendary. “The allegation question is total falsehood. He was not force or put under duress by our Chairman to move the said motion.

Rather, he voluntarily indicated his interest to move a motion for the endorsement of the APC consensus governorship candidate Hon. Adekunle Akinlade. “The event where Oladunjoye moved the motion was peaceful and attended by several stakeholders of the party.

“The party has been magnanimous to him because as at the time making his statement he is a member of Council of Tai Solarin University of Education and a Chairman of Consultative Assembly of his Local government. Members of his constituency have disassociated themselves from his irresponsible view”, he said. – Vanguard

– Sept. 10, 2018 @ 10:35 GMT