Lagos APC: Defected commissioner betrayed Fashola in 2007

The Lagos chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) says Wale Oluwo, ex-commissioner for energy and mineral resources in the state, defected from the party because his attempts to deceive party members were foiled.

Oluwo had dumped the ruling party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and resigned his position as commissioner.

He had accused the leadership of the ruling party of being anti-democratic in the process through which Babajide Sanwo-Olu emerged as the flagbearer of the APC in the 2019 governorship election.

However, the Lagos APC, in a statement by Joe Igbokwe, its spokesman, said Oluwo had been found wanting of anti-party activities.

The party accused him of allegedly working to foil the emergence of Babatunde Fashola as the state governor in 2007.

He also accused Oluwo of several attempts to use the power of his office to place his wife in strategic positions in the state.

“It is on record that Oluwo first made an attempt to reap from the challenges of internal party democracy in our progressive movement when he teamed up with one of the losers in the 2007 primaries of the Action Congress to stop Babatunde Fashola’s sure victory at the polls. The unfortunate political adventurism failed woefully,” the statement read.

“However, in the conventional demonstration of mercy and forgiveness, Oluwo’s principal, was accommodated in the second term cabinet of Governor Babatunde Fashola as the Commissioner for Tourism.

“A similar milk of mercy and kindness led to the consideration Of Oluwo as a member of the Lagos State Executive Council under Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in the hope that he has purged himself of opportunism, disloyalty and vaulting desperation for power.

“Oluwo had hardly resumed as the Commissioner when he began his plot to use that office to advance his quest for political fiefdom. The object of his ambition was the positioning of his wife as the chairman of a local government.

“The party rank and file aborted this abuse of power and reckless peddling of influence and everybody thought the lesson had been learnt. He, apparently, had not.

“As soon as the procedures for the general elections began, Oluwo once again became the only commissioner to seek his wife as the member of House of Assembly for Eti- Osa.

“By now the pattern of his ambition had become clear. The intrigue that enabled him to make his wife the first- term commissioner’s wife to become the chairperson of the committee which organised the annual National Women Conference became clear. It was meant to achieve undeserved visibility.

“This obnoxious attempt to deceive party members was again foiled and it is the aggravated frustration that has led to this defection.”

Igbokwe alleged that Oluwo’s defection is evidence that he was a mole of the opposition party.

He, however, added that it remains unshaken, while wishing Oluwo well in his future endeavours.