Senator Abiola Ajimobi

Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has assured the sacked Council bosses in the 33 Local Government Areas and 35 local council development areas that they have legitimacy on their side as due process was followed in the exercise that ushered them into office.

Apparently assuring the council bosses that the process that brought them to power followed all known legal tenets, Ajimobi said, although some may think he is not doing anything about the case in hand, he said he is doing whatever it is in silence, saying silence is golden.

The Ex-governor spoke on Sunday at Ibadan Civic Centre, Idi Ape, Ibadan, venue of a thanksgiving and prayer assembly held in his honour by the Basorun of Ibadanland, Chief Kola Daisi.

The event which attracted crème-de-la-crème within and outside Ibadan was also attended by religious leaders, traditional rulers, business mogul, community leaders, the APC governorship candidate at the last election, Mr Bayo Adelabu, APC state executives led by the Chairman, Chief Akin Oke, party members, Ajimobi’s former commissioners, aides and political associates among others.

Governor Seyi Makinde had upon his inauguration sacked all the chairmen of all the local governments faulting the processes that brought them to office.

The sack came despite an initial court judgment gotten by the umbrella body of the council bosses stopping the government of the day or the house of assembly from sacking the elected council bosses.

But the council bosses have also remained resolute challenging Makinde’s directive and insisting that they remained the authentic elected council bosses.

Ajimobi said “Many of you are saying I am not saying or doing anything about what is going on. I am doing something about it but just that I don’t want to …., there are times that silence is golden and this time that we are, I think it is better to be silent. But I pray that God will make you victorious. And you are on the right track. The law is on your side”.

The remarks attracted the applause and ovation of the guest.

It is the first time the governor is making any public appearance since the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, government was inaugurated in the state on May 29.

The ex-governor who said the event was just an opportunity for him to thank all those who played one role or the other in his eight years rule in the state, also prayed that the Makinde government sail through safely, noting that “it is good to make promises but when reality done on you, you will know that it is not easy”.

Earlier in his remarks, the host of the event, Chief Kola Daisi said he had the option to call the “get together anyone of these several names: ‘celebrations’, ‘reception’, ‘grand party’, etc, but because it is conceived primarily as an occasion for thanking God for his love and mercies, I decide to give it a touch of the religious so that those who reflect upon the occasion in the future will appreciate how deeply we believe in the overwhelming influence of the Almighty in our daily lives.”

The business mogul gave four reasons for the event saying, it is to offer prayers for the repose of the soul of his first wife late Alhaja Sherifat Kola-Daisi and his god-son, Aare Arisekola Alao; offers prayer for Oyo state and Nigeria as a whole; offer prayers and thanksgiving for Ajimobi and his wife, Florence as well as for the complete success of Ajimobi’s successor, Governor Makinde.

In their separate remarks, some of the dignitaries who spoke, including Prof Oladipupo Akinkugbe, Chief Folake Solanke, Chief Bayo Oyero and Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof Idowu Olayinka lauded Governor Ajimobi for his exemplary leadership and service to the people and the state, noting that his eight years reign had indeed transformed the state in the comity of states in the country.