TheCable

Lanre Issa-Onilu, one of the aspirants who contested against Bolaji Abdullahi, publicity secretary seat of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), says the story of how he was defeated may never be known, but would be told one day.

Issa-Onilu who hails from Kwara state like Abdullahi, and had earlier dismissed rumours that he was withdrawing from the race.

Minutes after Abdullahi was affirmed winner, Issa-Onilu took to his Facebook page to express his seeming dissatisfaction.

“So you’ve all heard what was eventually announced for the position of the national publicity secretary of APC,” he began.

“You may never know the whole story. But that’s not even important now. What matters is what we have achieved. We have achieved a major breakthrough in Kwara state by standing up for the first time, at a national space, to those who have held our state under a gluttonous grip.”

He added; “the message has been delivered loud and clear back in our state. We feel very proud of how far we have come. We are encouraged by the overwhelming support across the state. Hundreds of solidarity phone calls and tonnes of prayers kept us going. We shall take the positives from this, going forward. I salute all the people of Kwara state who are men and women of conscience, who have continued to play active and dignifying roles as we continue to challenge the few who have been gang raping the people of Kwara state over the last 16 years, holding the socio-economic conditions of our people as hostage to poverty. You have every reason to be proud of yourselves. You’re the winners in this difficult journey to freedom.”

Issa-Onilu was the preferred candidate on the lists said to have been endorsed by President Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the party, for the convention.