A report by The Will indicates that Dimeji Bankole, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives and a former presidential aspirant on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, lost out in the race for a ministerial position due to a senator from his state.
According to the report, Bankole expected to be rewarded for stepping down for President Bola Tinubu during the party’s presidential primary last year and for always accompanying him during the campaigns.
Bankole was reportedly supposed to make up the third nominee from Ogun State, which had the highest number of ministerial nominees.
The other nominees were Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, and Dr Isiak Salako, the Minister of State for Environment and Ecological Management.
Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, aka Yayi, was said to have worked against the former Speaker.
The report read:
“Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State had allegedly put in a word on behalf of Bankole to a member of Tinubu’s inner caucus for him to be made minister.
“Abiodun had hoped that making Bankole, who nurses a gubernatorial ambition, a minister would give him (Bankole) the sort of leverage and influence he (Bankole) needed to succeed him as governor.
“He had found an ally in Yayi, who is currently representing Ogun West and together, they both allegedly approached this influential politician to put in a word on behalf of Bankole.
“The influential politician had agreed to make it happen, only for Yayi to allegedly go behind Abiodun to the same politician with another request.
“Yayi also desires to become governor someday, and he figured that making Bankole a minister would erode his own shine and influence.
“He was afraid that if they both had any reason to slug it out at the polling booths, Bankole might likely floor him.
“So, he allegedly asked this influential politician to jettison Abiodun’s request and ensure that Bankole isn’t made minister. He made a case for himself as having more political experience than Bankole, having spent more time than Bankole in the National Assembly.”
