‘Akinjide sold Ladoja to Patience Jonathan’

Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Olajumoke Akinjide.

A political group in support of the return of a former governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, in 2015 on Tuesday alleged that the Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory, Jumoke Akinjide, was behind the move to ensure that another former governor, Rashidi Ladoja, emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party candidate.

Ladoja is the National Leader of the Accord Party and the party’s governorship candidate. Rev4mation's world reported on Monday that Patience Jonathan had reportedly tried to persuade a PDP leader in Oyo State, Yekini Adeojo, as well as some governorship aspirants, including Alao-Akala and Teslim Folarin, to accommodate Ladoja in the party during a meeting at Aso Rock in Abuja.

The group, Team Akala, said Akinjide was taking advantage of her relationship with the wife of the President to sell Ladoja to the PDP.

It said, “The information being circulated by loyalists of Senator Rasheed Ladoja is not true. The outcome of the two meetings held with both the First Lady and Senate President, David Mark did not in any way pick Ladoja as the flag bearer of the PDP.

“The meeting with the President’s wife was precipitated on the attempt by the Minister of State for FCT, Chief Jumoke Akinjide, to force the Presidency to adopt Ladoja. The meeting was informed that Ladoja is the National Leader of Accord Party and the governorship candidate of the party in the state for 2015 election and the move to lure him in was rejected.

“The meeting concluded that the former governor, who contributed to the loss of PDP in 2011, should return to the party through the normal process and vie for the ticket.

“The party was advised to either reduce the number of its governorship aspirants to two or three or agree on a consensus candidate, whose political structure is strong enough to win in 2015. We are of the strong opinion that Alao-Akala is the man that can do that perfectly.”