London Meeting With Ladoja Not For Personal Gains – Alao Akala

The immediate past governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, has denied media reports that his recent meeting in London with his predecessor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, was towards the realisation of his senatorial ambition in 2015.

Although he admitted meeting his former boss penultimate Sunday, he noted that the focus of the meeting was on how to join forces with the aim of making the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a formidable opponent of the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the state ahead the 2015 elections.

Alao-Akala, who is presently in London, said, “It is true that I recently met with former Governor Rashidi Ladoja, who remains my boss, in London when he came visiting. But what we discussed was different from what was reported in some sections of the media.

“We did not at any point during the meeting discuss any personal ambition or how to get any particular position in 2015. It is true we met and discussed but the meeting has nothing to do with how to share political offices or positions.

“Rather, our discussion centred on common interests because Senator Ladoja remains a strong political leader to be reckoned with in Oyo State. We discussed about how to bring the PDP back on board as a formidable party ahead the 2015 elections in Oyo State. The basis of our talk is on how we can come together to move the party ahead”, he said.

Akala, who was defeated by the ACN candidate, Abiola Ajimobi in the 2011 general elections, also dispelled rumours making the round that he was contemplating dumping the PDP for the Accord Party.

“I have been saying it and I will repeat it here for the umpteenth time that I am a loyal politician and I am still committed to the PDP. I have not publicly declared my intention to contest in the next elections”, he said.

“While I am not ruling out the possibility of vying for an elective public office in 2015, let us keep our fingers crossed as regards which position. But definitely I am a loyal PDP member and I have no intention of going to the Accord Party.”