AARE Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji AbdulAzeez Arisekola-Alao, has been advised to drop the grab of being a religious leader and test his popularity by contesting the 2011 governorship election in Oyo State.

The G2011, a group campaigning for the actualisation of the second term bid of the state governor, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, gave the advice while reacting to the statement credited to the Ibadan-based businessman that there would be a new government in the state in 2011.

Arisekola-Alao had, in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune last week, said that the governor was not popular in the state, declaring that he could not get 20 per cent of the total vote in his hometown, Ogbomoso, during the forthcoming elections.

However, the Oyo State Secretary of G2011, Mr Ralph Elebute, while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, described the statement as unfortunate, stating that Arisekola-Alao was a known businessman and religious leader who could not see issues beyond the point of view of his major areas.

“Alhaji Azeez Arisekola-Alao is more known as a religious leader and a successful businessman. That is why he cannot differentiate between politics, business and even religion. His attack on Governor Alao-Akala stemmed from the fact that he rated himself higher than what he is in the political calculations of Oyo State.

“Probably, he wants to equate himself with the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, forgetting the fact that the only business the man had was politics. But his comment was not totally surprising because his philosophy has always been any government in power.

“I can recollect that the late Chief Bola Ige, while reacting to the outburst of Arisekola-Alao in 1982, asked the people of the state to advise him not dabble into the murky waters of politics, but should rather face his business squarely.

“Now, the man has stripped himself off the respect of a religious leader and he would henceforth be seen, recognised and addressed as a politician,” Elebute said.

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Posted: at 12-10-2010 03:24 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac

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