By Dare Akogun
The Senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Dr Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, has revealed that he would remain in the All Progressives Congress (APC) notwithstanding that he lost his bid for a return ticket on the platform of the party.
Oloriegbe, speaking to newsmen in Ilorin weeks after the party’s primaries, disclosed that he turned down the senatorial ticket offer from the Social Democratic Party (SDP), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Action Democratic Congress (ADC) and Young Peoples Party (YPP) due to his principle of being in politics.
The legislator who added that only the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not approach him for its senatorial ticket for Kwara Centra, said one of the reasons he declined the offer was to demonstrate that his political struggles were not for personal gain.
According to him “Leadership of some parties have approached me to come and pick up their senatorial ticket; SDP, NNPP, ADC, YPP and everybody. It is only PDP that did not offer me their ticket. I didn’t accept anyone. I have reasons. And one is to show that I’m not after office position. It is not about me and must be me,” he said.
Oloriegbe who alleged that the primaries of the APC were skewed in favour of a candidate, noted that many of his colleagues in the Red Chamber, who were hitherto in the APC, had decided to pitch tent elsewhere and would vote against the ruling party.
He however, assured that he would mobilize support for the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the 2023 general elections, adding that he remains the only flag-bearer that has the wherewithal to lead the country.
“If I had accepted another party’s candidature, that will be able to make it difficult as some people are saying. They will say how would you work for Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“If I were to be accepting another candidature from SDP and so on, when the presidential candidate of the party comes, would I now show up the same day and say vote for me for Senate but don’t vote for this person for President.
“Many of colleagues in the Senate will vote for another party. But I didn’t go. And my supporters, many of them are putting pressure. Come and take this party’s candidature. I said no. I said until when I come home.
“But when they are putting pressure, they listen to what I’m saying now. Why I said no is to say one, I’m not about being in the position or just be the one in the Senate”, Oloriegbe said.
