The lingering rift between the executive governor of Oyo State Senator Abiola Ajimopbi and his erstwhile political ally and friend Ex-Gov. Adebayo Alao Akala may be far from over; the political differences between the two of them appear to have escalated into a big battle.
Though those who are in the know claimed the face-off among the two men began when it became obvious that Ajimobi was not going to support Akalak's governorship ambition but the whole was blown open few hour to Oyo APC's governorship primary election, held on Sunday 30 September, 2018.
Akala, who was one of the aspirants cleared by the NWC of APC to participate in the said primary, didn't only pulled out on the eve of the election, but raised some salient issues. Apart from giving order to his loyalists/delegates to boycult the primary, Akala also alarmed NWC of the party of the purported plans of Gov. Ajimobi to impose one Tegbe on delegates and leadership of the party in the state. The primary election was later to produce Chief Bayo Adelabu, a former Deputy Governor of CBN.
While the dust raised by Akala's outburst concerning the primary is yet settled however, on Thursday another news came that his property, comprising of office complex and shops at the popular 'Ile Itesiwaju' in Dugbe, has been sealed off by the tate government. The property alongside others was said to have been locked up for tax evasion.
But rather than taking it in his stride, Akala felt this move by the government, through Oyo State Board of Internal Revenue (OYBIR), was political.
The former governor in a statement issued on his behalf by Jeremiah Akande, Head, New Media and Public Affairs, Alao-Akala Campaign Organisation, urged his supporters to be calm and continue to be law-abiding.
Alao-Akala said, “Oyo State Government today under the guise of non-compliance with tax payment launched a disguised attack on the person and properties of His Excellency, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala.
“At about 12.30pm this afternoon, staff of the Oyo Board of Internal Revenue stormed one of the Properties of Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala located at No. 32, Oba Adebimpe Road, Dugbe, Ibadan with policemen and members of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corp and sealed up the property after presenting a letter from the Revenue Board giving one Mrs. Oludewa the authority to seal the property.
“The business complex popularly called Ile Itesiwaju and houses business concerns worth over 3 Billion Naira is presently under lock and key and most of the shop owners and customers locked inside the complex.
“The general public is hereby put on notice and all lover and supporters of His Excellency, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, are urged to remain peaceful, maintain calm and not to take laws into their hands as it is glaring, this action is political motivated as 2019 is around the corner”.
Reacting to the allegation however, the government has said that Akala's claims are untrue.
"Our attention has been drawn to a misleading statement credited to a purported media aide of a former Governor of Oyo State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, His Excellency, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, in relation to our latest enforcement drive against tax defaulters.
We wish to debunk the insinuation in the said statement suggesting that the exercise, including past enforcement, as well as future initiatives were political vendetta targeted at certain imaginary opposition to the ruling government.
For the avoidance of doubts, our agency gave ample opportunity and enough notices to tax defaulters to reconcile their records with the board and make statutory payment through advertorials in national newspapers weeks before the enforcement team began the exercise.
Since the exercise began, we have shut many financial institutions, companies owned by respected statesmen, private and public entities that have defaulted in tax payment, in order to demonstrate our impartiality.
During our last outing on Thursday, we shut many firms and business premises, whose owners were yet to yield to our civil and legal approaches to make them to comply with extant laws and regulations on the performance of their civic obligations.
Among these were an event hall owned by the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT); a business plaza known as Ile Itesiwaju; Wemabod, owned by Oodua Investment Company, Carlton Gate Hotel, and NUT Teachers House, among others.
Coincidentally, Ile Itesiwaju is said to be owned by HE Otunba Alao-Akala, who happens to be a former governor of the state.
When words got to the Governor, His Excellency, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, about the status of the building, His Excellency immediately directed that we reopen it in order to give the owner more time to reconcile with the Board of Internal Revenue and make the necessary payments.
We have since complied with the governor’s directive and business activities have resumed on the premises pending when they will clear the debt owed the state government, as no defaulter is exempted or protected under the law.
However, the board will like to emphasis that it will not treat any defaulter of taxes, levies and dues as sacred cow nor exempt any institution covered by the extant law from paying taxes.
We want to use this opportunity to again appeal to businesses and individuals still in the breach of tax payment not to wait for our enforcement teams to seal up their premises before they approach our offices to regularize their payments.
Again, confirming the fact that the battle line between Akala and Ajimobi has been drawn. Akala, on a radio program through one of his aides, described as laughable the rumour that his son, Olamiju Akala (who is currently serving as Ogbomoso North Local Government Chairman) is likely to be tipped as the party's governorship candidate's running mate in the coming 2019 election.
Akala was quoted to have said that his son is not a bastard and would never accept such an offer to deride him.
Also in the cause of the radio program, Akala gave details of how Gov. Ajimobi reneged on pact they agreed upon.
He said the governor has never honoured their pact as spelt out by the National leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu that both should superintend the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the good of the members and future electoral successes.
That the governor has been sidelining his supporters in the running of the party at all levels; non-provision of appointments for them to serve as commissioners or as boards’ chairmen and the highhandedness in the running of the party activities which climaxed with the gubernatorial primary he boycotted.
-Dare Adeniran.
