The National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS) has condemned the alleged demand by former senator, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, for the refund of campaign funds she reportedly spent before the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Ogun State.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its National President, Olubodun Olalekan, the association described the alleged demand from the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as “unprincipled, embarrassing and a direct insult to the sensibilities of Ogun people.”
NAOSS said it was disturbed that a former senator and the daughter of a former President could be associated with what it described as a transactional approach to politics, rather than promoting unity and development within the APC in Ogun State.
The statement read: “Politics is not a business venture where one keeps receipts to demand refunds after a contest.
“If the allegation is true, then it portrays a troubling desperation and a commodification of public service that must be rejected by all well-meaning sons and daughters of Ogun State.”
The association maintained that Senator Adeola emerged as the APC governorship candidate through the party’s internal democratic process with the backing of party members and stakeholders.
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It added that linking the party’s candidate to a financial dispute after the primary election could unnecessarily create tension within the state’s political environment.
According to the group, Ogun youths and students are more concerned about employment, education, healthcare and infrastructure than political disagreements over campaign finances.
NAOSS urged political actors to place the interest of Ogun State above personal grievances.
“Senator Yayi is currently carrying the burden and expectation of millions of Ogun people. This is not the time for distractions or attempts to extort the party’s flagbearer under any guise,” the statement quoted the association’s president as saying.
“We will not sit and watch anyone, no matter how highly placed, derail the progress of our dear state for personal gain,” he added.
The association also called on Obasanjo-Bello to refrain from actions capable of bringing the APC and Ogun politics into disrepute.
NAOSS reaffirmed its commitment to promoting transparent and people-centred leadership, adding that it would continue to mobilise students to defend the integrity of the state’s democratic process and hold public office holders and political aspirants accountable.
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