17th December, 2010
Hon. Taofeek Abiodun Adaranijo has laughed-off the certificate forgery allegation levelled against him, saying that a million of such blackmails will not make him dump his ambition of representing Agege Federal Constituency at the National Assembly in 2011.
Speaking with Political Platform, the Orile-Agege council boss said that his political ambition is still very much intact, adding that his rivals are only afraid of his popularity in the council area.
He said there was no iota of truth in the allegations describing them as false, unfounded and baseless from an equally faceless organisation that is not registered anywhere.
When asked whether he was truly invited by the police over the allegations, he admitted being invited by the police for investigation but he was given a clean bill of health.
To buttress his defence, he presented a copy of the outcome of the police investigation signed by a Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP, Richard Ejeh, of the Security/Criminal Intel Bureau, Ikeja, Lagos in which he was purportedly cleared.
On the issue of misappropriation of public funds, the council boss said all contracts were executed and challenged the petitioners to get their records right before going to the press.
“I don’t know what they mean by misappropriation of public funds. We gave out contracts and the jobs were done. They can easily confirm this in the Governor’s Office at Alausa.
“This is mad period of political campaigns, so people can just concoct issues and accuse you so as to pull you down. Therefore, all these unfounded accusations are expected at a period like this, and that will not move me an inch from achieving my political objectives,” he said.
He said he was motivated by entreaties on him to contest, adding that he was convinced about the sincerity and passion of the overwhelming majority of the people.
“The past few years have afforded me the opportunity to restore the hope of my people. I cannot at this moment of our development decline to continue to guide into maturity the constituency which we have worked hard to build.
“Anything short of acceding to the call of the people will be placing myself on the wrong side of history. To do otherwise will be to abandon my life long commitment to the provision of selfless service to the people of Agege Federal Constituency,” he said.
He added: “In fact, I want to appreciate those fighting for primaries. I believe so much in it. I am a democrat. People should be able to exercise their democratic rights by voting for candidates of their choice who they believe will represent them properly.”
