By Daniel Kanu
Assistant Politics Editor
Two-time Ondo State governorship also-ran, Tunji Abayomi, is not happy with Bola Tinubu’s towering influence that has extended beyond his domain in Lagos to all the cracks and crevices of the South West.
Abayomi, a lawyer and human rights activist, accused Tinubu, a power broker in the All Progressives Congress (APC), of frustrating his ambition to govern Ondo, a historically independent minded state in the zone, like Ekiti.
He recently exchanged letters with Tinubu to express displeasure on his imposition of Segun Abraham as the governorship candidate of the APC in the Sunshine state in the election in November.
Abayomi told TheNiche in an interview in Lagos that Tinubu’s meddling is not acceptable, alleging that he “wants to frustrate my ambition.’’
Whereas, Abayomi stressed, “the tonic of democracy as I have said in my letter is the right of the people to choose their leaders.”
The problem, in his view, is that Tinubu “thinks he can’t control me so he is preventing me from not getting the ticket and that is why I am writing to him on the danger it portends.
“I am fighting against imposition so as to ensure it does not continue. We must fight against it to make sure it does not become a norm. And that is why I should not keep quiet.
“We must ensure that the rights of the people are respected. It’s wrong for him to raise a candidate among aspirants.”
Abayomi insisted he cannot quit the party because of godfatherism.
“No, it’s not likely that I will leave the APC, I have been there for a long time. If I wanted to leave I would have done that a long time ago.
“I have no plan of leaving the party. However, I believe that things should be done properly and in accordance with the constitution of the party and the rights of citizens.
“You can’t ask people to subject themselves to certain conditions and then you just turn around to take equals unequally.
“The whole process is unacceptable to me, that was why I wrote to him. I find the endorsement inappropriate because it amounts to him constituting government for us, which is contrary to the principles of democracy.”
Abayomi maintained that Ondo residents have the right to choose rather accept undue endorsement from the outside.
“It is the right of the Ondo people to elect, cast their votes to whom they want to represent them against another party, in a political contest. It is my belief that the Ondo governorship primary should be free and fair, devoid of undue influence.”
He warned that the interference may not augur well for the state.
“Well, if it is not remedied it could be problematic, it could affect the APC’s electoral fortunes but the National Chairman of the party [John Odigie-Oyegun] I am aware wants to intervene.
“He has called a meeting to look into all the issues. I am urging the party to rise up to the challenge so as not to be full of regrets latter.”
Abayomi contested the Ondo governorship in 2007 and 2011.