‘How Late Ajimobi Was Used As A Pawn In The Messy APC Leadership Crisis’

The family of Senator Abiola Ajimobi Thursday afternoon revealed the death of the former Oyo State Governor shortly after the dissolution of the All Progressives Congress’ national working committee, where the deceased served as deputy national chairman and was being used as a pawn in the fight for the control of the party.

Controversy over demise

Ajimobi, 70, died from COVID-19 complications, after contracting the disease about two weeks ago. He had other delicate health challenges, which complicated his treatment and recovery, according to a very close aide, who confirmed his death to THEWILL on June 18, 2020, that prompted our report on his demise, before his daughter and spokesman countered with a denial. The confusion over his state of health continued through the week as the pro-Tinubu/Oshiomhole faction of the party fronted his name as a platform to stand on to wrestle control of the party from the Governors of the APC.

The Tinubu faction lost the battle Thursday with the dissolution of the NWC.

THEWILL source said Ajimobi’s unresponsive body had been plugged to a life support machine all through the week but for the politics he would have been unplugged.

The politician was born on 16 December 1949 at Oja-Iba, Ibadan.

He started his education at Saint Patrick’s Primary School, Oke-Padre in Ibadan. He completed his primary education at Ibadan City Council Primary School, Aperin. His secondary education was at Lagelu Grammar School.

Ajimobi’s university education was in the United States of America, where he studied Business Administration and Finance at the State University of New York, in Buffalo, New York graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree. His MBA was in Operations Research and Marketing with a concentration on Finance at Governors State University, University Park, Illinois.

In 2003, he became a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Ajimobi was a principal officer in the Senate, serving as the Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate. In 2007, he contested the gubernatorial election under the umbrella of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) but lost. Ajimobi contested again in 2011 under the Action Congress of Nigeria and won.

Ajimobi contested for a second term in an election that took place on April 11, 2015 under the All Progressive Congress (APC) against two of his predecessors in office, Otunba Christopher Alao Akala and Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja. He won, becoming the first civilian governor of the state to be reelected

Ajimobi was elected as the All Progressives Congress (APC) Oyo South senatorial candidate on 28 September 2018. On March 9, 2019, he lost the Oyo South senatorial district seat to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr. Kola Balogun.

Text (excluding headline) courtesy of THEWILL