‘He’s PDP member’ — Ondo APC rejects appointment of Kolade Akinjo into NDDC board

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo has rejected the appointment of Kolade Akinjo as the state representative on the governing board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu appointed board members and a management team for the NDDC where Akinjo was named as the Ondo representative.

Reacting to the appointment, the party leaders said Akinjo was a member of the house of representatives on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who worked for the opposition during the general elections.

In a statement by Alex Kalejaye, Ondo APC publicity secretary, the leaders said appointing Akinjo could “demoralise” APC members who greatly contributed to the success of the ruling party during the elections.

“We concede to Mr. President the right to appoint any qualified Nigerian to any office, having given him the popular mandate to preside over our affairs,” the party said.

“We only wish to remind Your Excellency that Mr. Kolade Victor Akinjo was the House of Representatives candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during the presidential election, having served two terms on the platform of the opposition party.

“It is equally pertinent to aver that while Mr. President’s desire to instill an all-inclusive governance for the good of the people, we doubt if anyone who worked assiduously for his party, the PDP, as well as his presidential candidate, Abubakar Atiku on the potency of anti-APC sloganeering, fits better than our teeming members for the plum job.

“It is, therefore, our fear that appointing such a man into an influential position could demoralize our members, particularly in Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency, who who contributed immensely to the overall votes from the Sunshine State.

“We have no doubt, in the circumstance, that Mr President will revisit the nomination of Akinjo as the Ondo State Representative on the NDDC’s Governing Board and bring on board someone known to have worked for the party.”

The party leaders commended Tinubu for appointing Ifedayo Abegunde as the NDDC  executive director of corporate services.

The party leaders also applauded the president’s efforts to rebuild the economy in the interest of every Nigerian.

They appealed to the president to take a second look at Akinjo’s appointment to avoid the unpleasant situation of “Monkey dey work, Baboon dey chop”.