The oldest APC Chieftain in Ajeromi/ Ifelodun local government and the Ologbosere of Ejigan Quarters in Efon Alaye of Ekiti State, High Chief Jegede, says he has done his best in the politics of Ajeromi/Ifelodun, though he did not get anything.
In an exclusive chat with Lagos Focus News, Pa Jegede, the former Chairman of Justice Forum, bared his mind on Ajegunle l’okan agitation. He noted that though the party is one when a particular area continues to produce the local government chairmen, it is normal when election times other areas will agitate for an opportunity to produce the chairman. So, there’s a need for everybody to sit back and think whether it’s from the top or bottom.
“To be sincere, we have Ajegunle, Araromi, and Olodi axis. Olodi has been enjoying this slot and that is why when our boys started agitating for a change, we quickly understood the argument of the agitators because it has been Olodi axis since inception. That is why we take sides with them.”
The APC chieftain noted that the death of some of the party leaders from that area is regrettable.
“It pains me that we have lost some leaders from that Olodi axis because, If Ogunaike, Fayemi, and Dagunduro were to be alive, they would understand me but sadly those who can understand me have gone. If they were alive and heard us ask that the chairman be zoned to this side, they would understand, though sincerely from the onset, we never give thoughts to whether the Chairman is from Olodi or which axis.”
Pa Jegede revealed that he came to Lagos in 1967, the year the Nigerian Civil War started, and began to form a committee of friends at that time because nobody could form a party then.
After some years, the real party formation started and they proceeded with that till the present dispensation and never cared if somebody was growing politically. The elder statesman noted that his contemporaries were the late Ogunyemi, Egunduro, and Ademolake because they all joined together much later. When Prince Rabiu Oluwa came in Ademolake was the LGA Chairman at that time and he chose some of us to go and look for the chairman. At that time, Prince Rabiu Oluwa was contesting including Kolawole Taiwo and many others too.
“I told Kolawole Taiwo that he was too small for the post of Chairmanship and I advised him to go for House of Assembly and he agreed and so we picked Oluwa by that time”.
In 1993, Pa Jegede contested for the House of Assembly alongside the late Giwa but was dropped and he didn’t take it like anything.
“We were going on with our party politics but what was on my mind was that our party must move on victoriously.
“At the second tenure of Oluwa, I contested for LGA Secretary, Akpata had already done one term then, I wasn’t taken again and he used 10 years, and yet, I didn’t feel any otherwise, and up till today I am still in the party.
When Olu Ogunbajo was going to the House of Reps because he was Chairman of Justice Forum Ajeromi Ifelodun, he abdicated the position for me, so I became the Ajeromi Ifelodun Chairman of Justice Forum until Oluwa finished his second term as Council Chairman”, He explained further.
Reacting to his closeness to APC Apex leader, Prince Rabiu Oluwa, his complaint, and how the matter was handled, Pa Jegede said, it’s not as if he has not benefited from politics; but it’s also good that everyone is aware that Prince Rabiu Oluwa is in the know about his situation.
He recalled that when Apata was chosen in his stead, Oluwa compensated him but notwithstanding, he still wanted to serve the people through any political position as he had not benefitted from the politics.
His words, “We are all one here with Prince Oluwa and others and all of them know this history that I am relaying to you. I am the oldest. Hon Fatai Ayoola before he became the Council Chairman knew this, Hon Adenekan when he was the Chairman knew about it and whatever I told him then, he did it.
“Honestly, I do not have time for all those things because I know that it is God that does everything and there is little that human beings can do because those who came yesterday can be given something today and those that have been together with us in the past years can be put in one side and that is what we refer to as politics”.
Justice Forum and Mandate group: “Justice Forum is the first political caucus. We were already in existence when Bola Ahmed Tinubu was about to become the governor. We spearheaded his campaign and adopted him. Unless we want to talk about other things, Justice Forum is the leading caucus that I know, and any other caucus; they are just using it to patch up.
“In Ajeromi /Ifelodun, any competition you see between the two is no competition because Justice Forum has long been registered and so when they say caucuses are disbanded, Justice Forum was there before and strong because it has been registered as a group, so they have no rival at all. Just watch out for our next caucus group social gathering.
“As for the Mandate group producing the next council chairman, both Mandate and Justice Forum are all working for the party”.
