President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR on Tuesday August 29, 2023 constituted the Board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by announcing the name of Hon. Kolade Victor Akinjo as member representing Ondo State. His appointment was premised on his sterling performance as a member of House of Representatives at the National Assembly who worked assiduously in initiating and promoting bills for the development of Niger Delta areas. This and other interventions of Kolade Victor Akinjo caught the attention of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila who incidentally is the Chief of Staff to the President now and other top brass in the All Progressives Congress that prompted them to push for nomination of Hon. Kolade Victor Akinjo’s nomination.
Expectedly, his appointment generated very unpleasant reactions from members of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State and particularly from Ilaje/Ese-odo Federal constituency where the All Progressives Congress members have always seen Hon. Kolade Victor Akinjo as their albatross for electoral defeat repeatedly. They deployed all machineries available to them to voice their rejection of the nomination of Kolade Victor Akinjo for being vociferous and stand-out People’s Democratic party (PDP) leader who worked assiduously and openly campaigned for the presidential candidate of PDP in the 2023 Presidential Election.
The State All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State through their State Publicity Secretary, Mr.Alex Kalejaiye petitioned the presidency. Please peruse below an extract of the petition.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo has rejected the appointment of Kolade Akinjo as the state representative on the governing board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu appointed board members and a management team for the NDDC where Akinjo was named as the Ondo representative.
Reacting to the appointment, the party leaders said Akinjo was a member of the house of representatives on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who worked for the opposition during the general elections.
In a statement by Alex Kalejaye, Ondo APC publicity secretary, the leaders said appointing Akinjo could “demoralise” APC members who greatly contributed to the success of the ruling party during the elections.
“We concede to Mr. President the right to appoint any qualified Nigerian to any office, having given him the popular mandate to preside over our affairs,” the party said.
“We only wish to remind Your Excellency that Mr. Kolade Victor Akinjo was the House of Representatives candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during the presidential election, having served two terms on the platform of the opposition party.
“It is equally pertinent to aver that while Mr. President’s desire to instill an all-inclusive governance for the good of the people, we doubt if anyone who worked assiduously for his party, the PDP, as well as his presidential candidate, Abubakar Atiku on the potency of anti-APC sloganeering, fits better than our teeming members for the plum job.
“It is, therefore, our fear that appointing such a man into an influential position could demoralize our members, particularly in Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency, who contributed immensely to the overall votes from the Sunshine State.
“We have no doubt, in the circumstance, that Mr President will revisit the nomination of Akinjo as the Ondo State Representative on the NDDC’s Governing Board and bring on board someone known to have worked for the party.
Above petition has clearly lend credence to the unflagging loyalty of Kolade Victor Akinjo. His belief in the ideals of PDP and it’s members elevated him above all other aspirants in the race for PDP Governorship ticket.
It is on this premise that I charge all PDP leaders and delegates to vote for Hon. Kolade Victor Akinjo as the Governorship candidate of our dear party, PDP in the primary election slated for April 26, 2024.
Kolade Victor Akinjo is a bridge between the older generation and the young. He is from Itebu-kunmi community in Ilaje LGA of Ondo State to a paternal father, Pa. Michael Akinjo. His mother, Mrs. Ebun Comfort Akinjo hails from Akinsuyi family in Ilutitun, Okitipupa LGA, Ondo State. He spent his early life Itebu-kunmi and Ore in Odigbo LGA of Ondo State where he attended St. Luke’s Anglican School, Itebu-kunmi, Ilaje. He thereafter proceeded to Ijagba/Imoru Community Grammar School, Imoru in Ose LGA and later to Oyemekun Grammar School, Akure between 1988 and 1989.
He got admitted and graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. In is pursuit for higher academic excellence, he proceeded to the University of Abuja, University of Benin, and Harvard Business School, Boston, United States. He also studied law at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko between 2016 and 2019.
Apart from his educational prowess, Kolade Victor Akinjo served in the Presidency under President Olusegun Obasanjo for eight years and another eight years as a Federal law maker at the House of Representatives. What a cognate executive and legislative experience.
The life impacting legacy projects executed in Ilaje/Ese-odo has continuously endeared him to the good people of Ilaje/Ese-odo Federal constituency.
From the above anticidents of Hon. Kolade Victor Akinjo, it is clear that he parades the best credentials in term of loyalty, exposure, academic attainments, geographical balance and age above his contemporaries. It will be trite to conclude that Kolade Victor Akinjo is a right blend to be supported to win the Governorship Election for our party in the primary and general election come November 16, 2024.
Peoplesmind
