A Lawmaker in the Ogun State House of Assembly representing Imeko-Afon State Constituency, Jemili Akingbade has confirmed to his constituents that he is not in the good books of the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun.
While responding to questions from his constituents on a WhatsApp Platform, over his performance as a two-term member of the State House of Assembly and his effort in ensuring that the Local Government is represented in the State Executive Council, Honourable Jemili hinted that he has challenged the Governor on several occasions for not considering Imeko-Afon worthy to have a Commissioner or a Special Adviser in his cabinet. He said the Governor doesn’t like him because of his bluntness and audacity to speak truth to power. He reminded his constituents that in the buildup to the primary elections in his party, APC, the Governor didn’t hide his disdain for his personality and therefore did not support his aspiration.
However, he emerged victorious at the polls.
According to the Honourable, he joined APC 19 months ago and the Governor had finished making his appointments. Meanwhile, he has challenged the Governor at every Parliamentary Caucus meeting they had with the Governor vis-a-vis the non inclusion of Imeko-Afon indigene in the State Executive Council. “If you know me too well, I am not afraid to tell Mr. Governor what he doesn’t want to hear and that is why he said I always antagonise him. He did not support my aspiration and I can be quoted. We joined APC so that we will not be treated like opposition Local Government. All we crave for is development of Imeko-Afon “, he said.
Honourable Jemili Akingbade was the Minority Chief Whip of the House before he cross carpeted from ADC to APC where he got his third term ticket. Imeko-Afon is one of the Local Governments that make up the Ogun West region of Ogun State. Ogun West indigenes have always lamented marginalisation of the Senatorial District. Since the creation of the State, it has not produced a Governor. Meanwhile, Imeko-Afon Local Government has also suffered neglect and marginalisation by previous administrations. The last time the Local Government had representation in the State Executive Council was the first term of Senator Ibikunle Amosun as Governor of Ogun State when Chief Adejobi was appointed Commissioner for Housing. The youths and well meaning indigenes of the Local Government have in recent times called the attention of the State Governor to this oversight; which many people described as a deliberate action to reprimand the Local Government for delivering a paltry vote of 2000 to the rulling All Progressives Congress in the 2019 Gubernatorial Election.
