The remains of the late ex-Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajiimobi has Sunday arrived his Oluyole Estate residence in Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital where here has now been buried..
In the last 48 hours, the final resting place of late Ajimobi became controversial as rumour filled the air that the Oyo State Government was delaying the burial because of its refusal to approve a land in the Agodi Garden area for the ceremony.
In another disclosure, a statement by the Chairman, Muslim Community in Oyo State, Alhaji Sanni, stated how it was ‘unislamic’ to bury Ajimobi in a Mosque, an arrangement that was meant to be a plan B after the family’s initial Agodi Garden plan was purportedly disapproved by the Oyo State Government.
Below: Video of late Abiola Ajimobi arriving his Oluyole Estate residence in Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital.
Amidst the controversy surrounding where to bury ex-governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the Governor Seyi Makinde-led Government has strongly denied allegations that it is behind the delay of burial ceremony for the late ex-Governor of the state.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Taiwo Adisa, who indicated that the insinuations amounted to a wicked lie.
The statement read: “In view of the intense enquiries from news media organisations regarding the perceived delay in burying the late former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the Oyo State Government wishes to place on record that there is no truth in the rumour making the rounds that the burial is being delayed by the state government.
“The rumour, which is being deliberately spread to give the state government a bad name and to play undue politics with the dead, initially came by the way of social media gossip, which gained traction to attract the attention of traditional media outfits.
“Several media outfits reached out to the Media Office of the Governor of Oyo State to make enquiries on this barefaced lie on Saturday.
“Let it be stated clearly that the Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, has played no role at all in causing any delay whatsoever regarding the burial of his immediate predecessor, Senator Ajimobi.
“The truth of the matter is that the family, through a proxy, approached the state government and sought approval to bury the late governor on a plot of land at Agodi GRA, which is currently under litigation.
“Incidentally, it was the same former Governor Ajimobi who instituted the legal action.
“Governor Seyi Makinde had no choice than to state the facts as they are to the emissaries and turn down the request.
“Governor Makinde, however, against the established land use rule in Oyo State, gave approval that the family can bury the late governor in his Oluyole Estate residence.
“It is to be noted that the rules guiding land use in Government Reservation Areas (GRA) forbid the burial of bodies in such locations as Oluyole Estate and Agodi GRA.
“Let us also put on record that whereas the family did not follow the laid down protocols in passing information on the sickness and eventual demise of Senator Ajimobi, Governor Makinde overlooked all that and directed the full cooperation of the government with the family on this matter.
“It can only amount to a wicked lie to insinuate that the incumbent government in Oyo State attempted to obstruct the burial of the immediate past governor”, Adisa said.
There is an indication that the location of burial of late former Governor of Oyo state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi has become controversial.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Ibadan by the Chairman, Muslim Community of Oyo state, Alh Ishaq Kunle Sanni, some group of the Muslim community in the state believes it is ‘unislamic’ to bury the former Governor in a Mosque even if he built it.
The contending issue of where to bury the Ajimobi, which is brewing between the Muslim community and the family, is confirmed to be the reason his burial has been delayed since Friday when he ought to have been laid to rest according to Islamic injunction.
According to Alh Sanni, who was a close associate of Ajimobi, there is an unnamed ‘constituted authority’ who against religious counsel is insisting that the onetime Senator of the Federal Republic will be buried in the Mosque that was named Senator Ishaq Abiola Ajimobi Central Mosque located at Oke Ado, Ibadan, Oyo State.
“When somebody who probably is the sole authority said he would not be buried immediately I equally went proverbial and men of wisdom could understand what was amiss and why Ajimobi’s wish for immediate burial was unfulfillable.”
The cleric narrated further that: “Professor Noibi and Alhaj Muideen Ajani Bello had sleepless nights on these issues. When the news gained currency that he would be buried in the Mosque my phone was inundated with phone calls from all over the world as if I can unilaterally change what the constituted authority this time may decide.
“We only can admonish and persuade. I Alh Ishaq Kunle Sanni believes it is Islamically wrong to bury a Muslim inside a Mosque even if it was built by him. Ditto for other erudite scholars like Professor Noibi. But there are some butter and bread scholars who are misleading people that at least The Prophet {SAW) was buried in the Mosque” he said.
On the argument that The Prophet {SAW) was buried in the Mosque, Alh Sanni noted that he spoke to a respected Islamic scholar who confirmed that burying ex-Governor Ajimobi’s remains in the Mosque is not ideal.
“That is Imam Abdurahman Ahmad Chief Missoner of Ansarudeen and he without mincing words said the Prophet being buried in the Mosque is not true.
“The Prophet was buried in Aisha’s apartment and the expansion of the Mosque met their graves there. He unabashedly said it is unislamic to bury anybody in the Mosque.”
In his account, Alh Sanni stated that he or anyone else cannot unilaterally change the mind of the ‘constituted authority’ on the matter.
He disclosed that he is working on another arrangement as a compromise for both parties in order to douse the tension.
“We can only persuade. We are trying on a land owned by the erstwhile Governor not far from the Mosque but not in the Mosque. If we succeed, that to me is a wonderful compromise. Allah may change the mind of the constituted authority in this matter.
The Muslim cleric, who noted that he was close to the late Ajimobi’s commitment to justice for Muslims in Oyo State, said he is optimistic that the contending issue will be resolved hours before the scheduled time of burial on Sunday.
“May Allah forgive Ajimobi the man Allah sent to right the wrongs done to Muslims for many years. A courageous and forthright human being who prayed to live for seventy years and Allah accepted his prayer. But we would have wished he lived longer. Who are we to query Allah’s decision?” he added.
The political crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is now intense as the erstwhile Acting National Secretary, Chief Victor Giadom has declared himself Acting National Chairman on the premise of a subsisting court order issued on March 16, 2020.
Giadom, who arrived the national secretariat of the party in Abuja as early as 9.00 am and headed into the office to take over in acting capacity, in a media address declared the appointment of Senator Abiola Ajimobi as Acting national Chairman illegal and unconstitutional.
Erstwhile Acting National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Victor Giadom
While declaring that Ex-Governor Ajimobi’s appointment cannot stand, Giadom referred to the order by Justice S.U Bature in suit no FCT /HC/M/6447/2020 as the basis for taking over as Acting Chairman of the APC.
“That order could not be immediately effected at that time because of the temporary reprieve Adams Oshiomhole got from the court of appeal on the same day.
“However, having removed the temporary reprieve yesterday (Tuesday) by the court of appeal and considering the fact that we cannot allow for a vacuum, I most humbly inform you that I have assumed office as Acting national chairman of our great party in compliance with the order of the court”, Giadom argued.
In a move that is rather swift, Giadom shocked political observers when he announced the reversal of Edo governorship election screening masterminded by the sacked Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
Giadom, declared as null and void, the disqualification of Governor Godwin Obaseki from contesting in the Edo state governorship primaries.
Furthermore, Giadom, who disclosed that he has the support of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) directed governorship aspirants of the party in Edo state to report to the national secretariat of the party in Abuja between today and tomorrow to come for a fresh screening exercise in line with the party constitution.
Similarly, Giadom declared that Emmanuel Ibediro ceases to be the national organising secretary of the party in line with an Abuja court order FHC/ABJ/CS/733//2018, and ordered the Deputy National Organising Secretary, Muhammed Sani Ibrahim to assume his position.
Meanwhile, since the sack of Adams Oshiomhole yesterday (Tuesday), it was anticipated that the APC National Secretariat had potentially become a battleground. In order to forestall the breakdown of law and order, security operatives in the early hours of Wednesday proactively took over and were strategically positioned inside and outside the APC secretariat.
The security agents, who arrived the party headquarters on two Hilux Patrol vehicles, stopped the journalists covering the party from gaining entrance into the complex.
Interestingly, the suspended chairman, Oshiomhole, who has been in a long-drawn battle with his successor, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, seems to have respected the court ruling as he stayed out the secretariat.
However, there was mild celebration among secretariat staff who gathered in groups discussing the removal of former national Chairman, Oshiomhole.
In a related development, the party’s National Vice-Chairman (North), Salihu Mustapha, also ordered security agents not to entertain any media briefing from the opposition camp.
The political drama that took centre stage in Edo State in the past weeks appears to have shifted base to the All Progressives Congress (APC) national Secretariat as two top party stalwarts fight for the leadership of the party after Appeal Court upheld the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole.
The battle for Oshiomhole’s temporary replacement is heightened by claims from immediate past governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the current Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party and Chief Victor Giadom, the party’s incumbent Deputy National Secretary and member of the National Working Committee, as the rightful Acting National Chairman.
The plot twist begun moments the APC announced Ajimobi as its Acting National Chairman, when Giadom, in a statement by his counsel, Chief Wole Afolabi, sighted by Echotitbits, insisted that the order of the FCT High Court issued on March 16, 2020 by Hon. Justice S.U Bature in Suit No. FCT/HC/M/6447/2020 to the effect that Chief Victor Giadom is to act as the National Chairman of the party due to the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole as the National Chairman remains valid. Consequently, the Giadom camp was swift in rendering Ajimobi’s appointment null and void and of no effect through that earlier judgment.
Read the statement by Victor Giadom’s counsel below
“Our attention has been drawn to a statement purportedly issued by the Publicity Secretary of the APC to the effect that Senator Abiola Ajimobi is to act as the National Chairman of APC following the suspension from office of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole by the Court of Appeal.
“We wish to state that the statement must have been issued in complete ignorance of the order of the FCT High Court issued on 16th of March, 2020 by Hon. Justice S.U Bature in Suit No. FCT/HC/M/6447/2020 to the effect that Chief Victor Giadom is to act as the National Chairman of the party due to the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole as the National Chairman.
“The order was given the same day that the Court of Appeal earlier gave Oshiomhole a temporary respite by staying the execution of the said order suspending Oshiomhole. Now that the Court of Appeal has affirmed the order of suspension, it is only proper that the Order recognising Chief Victor Giadom is implemented.
“Consequently, we have written to all law enforcement agencies to implement the said order and any one who attempts to parade himself/herself other than Chief Victor Giadom as the Acting Chairman of the APC would be facing contempt of court proceedings.”
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has formally reacted to the news in which the Court of Appeal has upheld the suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court had ordered the suspension of Oshiomhole as APC national chairman.
Reacting to the Appellate Court ruling on Tuesday, APC NWC, in a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said: “Guided by advice from the party’s legal department in line with the provisions of Section 14.2. (iii) of the party’s constitution, the Deputy National Chairman (South), Senator Abiola Ajimobi, will serve as the party’s Acting National Chairman.
“According to Section 14.2. (iii) of the APC constitution, the Deputy National Chairman, North/South “Shall act as the National Chairman in the absence of the National Chairman from his zone.”
Read the full text of the statement below:
Senator Abiola Ajimobi to Serve as APC Acting National Chairman
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has received the news indicating the Appeal Court has upheld the suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, by an FCT High Court pending the determination of the substantive suit.
Guided by advice from the party’s legal department in line with the provisions of Section 14.2. (iii) of the party’s constitution, the Deputy National Chairman (South), Senator Abiola Ajimobi, will serve as the party’s Acting National Chairman.
According to Section 14.2. (iii) of the APC constitution, the Deputy National Chairman, North/South “Shall act as the National Chairman in the absence of the National Chairman from his zone.”
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