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I did not write that statement against Fayose – Senator Biodun Olujimi

Senator Biodun Olujimi is a distinguished Senator of Federal Republic of Nigeria representing the Ekiti South Senatorial district.
Recently,  a statement purportedly written by her appeared on the internet claiming that Governor Fayose of Ekiti State is after her life because she has shown interest in becoming the next governor of Ekiti state. The statement also cast a lot of aspersions on the integrity and sanity of the the governor.
In this interview with encomium.ng, Senator Olujumi denied being the author of such statement. 

 

We want to know if you actually wrote that piece about Governor Fayose where you were alleged to have said the governor is after your life. 

I didn’t write it. If wrote it I will say I did. I didn’t write it. It his enemies, people he has offended that are using the opportunity that he is fighting me to write such thing. I was not the one who wrote it. I have already sent out press release to that to all media houses.

What is your relationship with Governor Fayose now? 

I don’t have any issue with him, he is the governor. But I take offence when one person in the House of Assembly who thinks he can take me on and call the other Assembly members who are half illiterates to be abusing me. That is the only one I take offence.

What really happened between you and the House of Assembly member? 

The whole thing started with the observers that we brought to the convention (PDP in Abuja recently). The governor said they don’t have right to be there because they were supporting some of us and that we have an ambition to be governor. So he drove them out (of the convention venue in Abuja). When they got home (Ekiti) he removed all of them from their party and board positions.

There were two House of Assembly members who they threatened to remove because they are close to me.
Because of this they recalled the members from recess to hold an emergency sitting in order to sanction them.
The allegations against these two members was that I was trying to curry their favours and that was why I constructed a road in his constituency. The other one they said I provided a 2million litre of water in his constituency. Does that make sense to you?

I did those things for the community and not for any member.

They now compelled them to kneel down,  crying and begging for forgiveness. One of them was made to sign an undertaking to denounce knowing Mrs. Olujimi. He was made to cast aspersion on me. Is that necessary? They are very close to me no doubt but we are all PDP members. What then will they do if it is an APC member that is close to me ? They kept threatening that they will remove them.
To compound the whole issue, the chairman of the House Committee on information, one Dr Omotosho who was the governor’s personal doctor in his first term and was dismissed that time before he was pardoned, held a press conference to say that, l am suffering from cerebral malaria. It is his sister that is suffering from cerebral malaria. I had to take him on. He cannot hide behind the governor to insult me. I won’t take that. He is the one I took on.
Apparently, those who are against the governor and itching to fight him are many. The moment they saw that there is a disagreement between me and the governor, they just capitalised on that to use my name to publish their grievances against the governor. If I was the one that made that statement, I won’t deny it. Omo Akin la wa, awa ki se o ‘jo (We are men of valour, we know no fear).
I don’t have any reason to publish anything on the internet. What do I benefit from such?  If I want to fight the governor, I will face him and tell him so.
Two, I can’t use such language to write about the governor because I am from a good home and I married into a good family too. So, I can’t use such language to write.
Those who want to pull trouble with the governor and have been looking for an opportunity were the ones who did it.
Then, I don’t call myself Abiodun. I call myself Biodun. The writer of that statement said, I am Abiodun. If you called me Abiodun, I will correct you because for a very long time now, I have removed that A from my name. That is why BC is my initials. So, I am not the one who wrote it.

Are you saying that the Facebook account is not your own?  

Yes. I don’t have a Facebook account. So many people have cloned in my name. But i don’t  have a Facebook account.

Has Governor Fayose called you or reacted to the statement? 

No, he has not called me at all and he has not said anything to me.

And he has not reacted to the statement purportedly written by you? 

No, no, no, not any that I know. May be he complained to some people but not that I know.

Is your relationship with him still cordial? 

Cordial? Yes, until I know that there is a problem, I won’t but say so. That is why I said he is not after my life. Nobody can be after my life. It is not possible. We are all in politics. Politics is about friction. When there is friction, there is friction. The friction either resolves itself or we resolve it.

Is it true you interested in becoming the next governor of Ekiti state? 

Of course, I have an ambition. I am from the zone that will produce the next governor. That is why all this is going on because the (House of) Assembly wants everyone to line up behind a candidate. It is not possible. People should be free to go wherever they want. The primary will decide.

Will that be the governor candidate too? 

Well, I don’t know. He has not announced it to us. But I know that the House (of Assembly) wants us to line up behind a particular candidate. That is why they are busy harassing people who want to go elsewhere. I ask them can the Assembly alone select a governorship candidate? The answer is no. You need the other delegates. They lied that I said, l have 11 members among them. What do I want to use 11 honourable members for?  Primary is conducted with a large number of people. Yes, they are statutory delegates but one can take them on later.

 

TOLANI ABATTI for encomium.ng

Encomium

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