Olunloyo: Why I joined the ACN

Dr. Victor Olunloyo, the former governor of western Nigeria’s Oyo State and former member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party has blasted critics over his decision to join the Action Congress of Nigeria.

He said rather than being driven by ‘hunger’ or abandonment by PDP as alleged by some of the commentators, his decision was taken “after a long and tedious assessment of Nigeria’s current circumstances, in exercise of his right to freedom of association as guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution and every charter of rights known to mankind”.

The reaction of the former governor was contained in a statement issued on his behalf by Bayo Ogunwusi, his media assistant.

The statement read:

“Dr. Olunloyo has no desire to impose what is actually a personal issue bothering on choice of political party membership on the arena of public discuss. He made his choice with minimum fuss and took his place among members of his new political party with humility. It was a decision taken after a long and tedious assessment of Nigeria’s current circumstances, in exercise of his right to freedom of association as guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution and every charter of rights known to mankind.

“One may wonder indeed why there has been so much agony from the Dejo Raimis and Bayo AKalas of this world over the exit from their party of a man who is hungry and has no electoral value.

“It will be recalled that many members of Bayo Akala’s cabinet have seen reason to change political affiliation since Akala lost in the last election. His commissioner for finance and even his media adviser to name a few are in new parties. Akala himself was in the APP. A prominent member of the APP who became a local government chairman on the ticket of APP. It was clear one could not become deputy governor or governor in Oyo through the APP. He changed affiliation to join PDP and become deputy governor. He later became governor. Dr. Saka Balogun, his compatriot in APP also joined PDP to become his Chief of Staff. Who knows what next?

“Chief Dejo Raimi’s story of hunger and neglect is no less ridiculous. Dr. Olunloyo will like to place it on record that at no time was he ignored or neglected by the PDP. He was actively involved in solving the acting- president impasse that greeted the death of the late President Umaru Yaradua among other sensitive party problems. There were several other state and party issues to which he made available his personal resources to resolve. He led the search for a solution to the Teslim Folarin- Eleweomo murder crisis and was often invited to live cabinet meetings to solve a host of recondite political/administrative problems such as the Charvet [ Oluyole ] problem. He as an engineer lead the state technical team to the ADB in Tunis which saved Oyo State more than one billion naira. The ADB itself put on record the adroit negotiating skills of Dr. Olunloyo in water resource matters. He was also called in to help over the collapsed hospital building in Ogbomoso, Akala’s hometown.

”All that was required to save the PDP in Oyo State from disarray was for Akala to listen to advice given both at the national headquarters and people like Dr Olunloyo to compromise and work as a team with Ladoja and others, which he ignored– a reckless level of indiscipline.

“Apart from the exercise of his right to freedom of association, Olunloyo has been a long standing advocate of the principle of freedom of association and regional integration which would definitely include Lagos.

“People like Chief Ayo Adebanjo have always wanted him in Afenifere. Besides, the eminently well-read Olunloyo has never been a man given to undue materialism. Perhaps no Nigerian alive has been in political office more frequently than Victor Olunloyo.

“His record which is quite visible in the public domain shows a man who never takes personal advantage of public office or affiliation. The whole of his life, especially his half-century of public service, is like an open book. The files are not missing! He has always been a man of modest tastes.
“It behoves on the press a bounden duty to protect the fundamental rights of citizens. It is a duty the press in Nigeria has carried out with distinction through thick and thin. The right to freedom of association is a constitutional right which cannot be taken away by the bleating of agonising party men.”