By Ralph Omololu Agbana.
*Disowns Publications, Campaign Posters
*Says ‘I Will Not Endorse Any Candidate As Chairman or Councillor’
Representative of Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Smart Adeyemi has sent a passionate appeal to his political opponents, saboteurs, and praise singers alike, to leave him alone to focus on his mandate of giving his constituents quality and effective representation.
The strong words of the third-term serving Senator is coming against the backdrop of publications making the rounds and campaign posters purporting to insinuate his intention to run for the governorship of Kogi State in 2023.
He stoutly disowned the efforts, describing the publications and campaign posters as unsolicited and act of sabotage.
The development is coming amidst clandestine succession plots in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State ahead of the 2023 governorship election.
Governor Yahaya Bello is on his second and final term.
In a no-holds-bared statement he personally signed on Wednesday, Senator Adeyemi, Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation attributed the publications linking him to the 2023 governorship race to “known and unknown individuals”.
He however did not disclose the identities of the individuals behind the posters and publications.
Below are excerpts from the strong worded statement:
“My attention has been drawn to online publications and physical display of posters purporting to insinuate that I, Senator Smart Adeyemi, have any intention to run for the governorship election in Kogi State by some known and unknown individuals. May I reiterate that I came into office as a third-term senator by the grace of the Almighty God. As at the time I joined APC, it was not in my calculations to return to the chambers as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria having served two terms successfully. It pleased God through the party, the electorate’s support and the leadership of our governor, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, that I emerged the people’s candidate with the sole aim of giving the people of Kogi West quality and effective representation in the red chamber, a duty I have passionately strived to execute with a view to salvaging and restoring the good image of our people, locally and internationally.
“The ongoing publications of my person making the rounds are solely intended for the purposes of collusion, distraction, detraction and confusion. I consider it unkind, uncivilized, unislamic, unbiblical, apolitical and inhuman to commence circulations towards the 2023. I ask the individuals behind these publications to immediately desist from such extreme and intolerable anti-party behaviour and misdemeanors.
“May I be allowed to focus on the job I have been called to do as there is no time for negative and inciting politicking but time to work assiduously to meet the aspirations and expectations of my beloved constituents. I have absolutely no need for the cheap and unsolicited advertisement and propaganda.
“Also, it is too early for any well meaning indigene to begin imaginary projections for 2023. Consequently anyone who is unilaterally engaging in such an act cannot be a friend of the state and invariably will be considered an enemy. The governor and the party as a whole are better placed at the relevant time to determine the way forward for Kogi State and it is our collective responsibility to continue to give them our unwavering support.
“Furthermore, as our great state prepares for the local government elections, I put it on record that I have not and will not adopt any candidate. We all belong to one party under one leadership; therefore, I will embrace whoever emerges either as chairman or councillor, as the party leadership will determine. Let me stress that I was not personally present at the material time Kogi State APC party structures were put in place under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello, yet my interest and that of my people have always been protected. Therefore I am confident that the leadership of my party under Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello is strong and sufficiently formidable to produce, at the appropriate time, people who are qualified, experienced, dedicated, honest, strong and aligned with the excellent work already being done by the governor.
“I will not entertain any further acts of mischief, political sabotage or outright anti-party conducts. This is an appeal to all coordinators, my genuine supporters and well wishers of DSSA to hereby strongly adhere to my position herein stated unequivocally.”.
To his opponents, he wrote: “I send strong caution to those who consider themselves opponents to desist from any form of mischief and misrepresentation of my person. I must be left out of their fictional delusions of grandeur”.
Finally, to his supporters, he declared, “Let me state emphatically that my support for Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello is unconditional and non-negotiable. I therefore implore you to rally round him and vehemently eschew any acts of distraction, mischief, confusion and what I consider (as) sabotage. I am a man of faith. A covenant child of God. My future in all ramifications is in the hands of the Almighty God through His human Angels”.
