More facts have emerged how one of the appointees of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Dr Najeem Salaam, worked against the All Progressives Congress ( APC) in all the elections held in the state in 2022 and 2023.
Today, during a current affairs radio programme monitored in Osogbo, Osun State, Dr Salaam, a director in the Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited (NigComSat) was mentioned by a PDP chieftain, Engr Kehinde Raji ( ARAJ), as one of the key APC leaders who were funded by the Adelekes family to facilitate election winning for the party.
According to Raji, “During the last electioneering, the former speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Najeem Salaam, directed me to disburse N4million received from the Adelekes family to sort some security exigencies during the elections. The money was disbursed for the purpose it was meant for and proper accounts, as to the disbursement, were made to the appropriate quarters.”
Raji and Sallam are prominent associates of the former minister of interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and there are allegations that they were instructed by Aregbesola, also from Osun, to work for the success of PDP in all the elections in the state.
Discussing the development after the radio programme, a social scientist who is also the convener of Renewed Mandate in Nigeria, Raphael Akanji, said the revelation by Kehinde Raji (Araj) was a further proof that the Ejigbo-born politician was flagrantly involved in anti-party activities and should be sanctioned appropriately.
“It is unfortunate that someone of Dr Najeem Salami’s calibre, who was given a very big federal appointment on the recommendation of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and was also given the courtesy to nominate the SSG to Oyetola, soiled his hand with this little money from PDP. It is sadder given the fact that he also received huge amount of money from the former governor, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, to work for the APC in the elections. How do we explain the fact he engaged in double-dealing? This is shameful.”
Sallam, noted to be the second-in-command to Aregbesola in the state, coordinated the activities of a factional group within Osun APC allegedly used by the former governor to unsettle the peace of the mainstream APC.
In a latest development, “My attention has been drawn to lies and evil spins making the rounds that, while speaking on the Rave FM Yoruba Political Personality Interview, Oro Oselu, on Monday, 26th June, 2023, I mentioned the former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Najeem Folasayo Salaam, as a beneficiary of a financial transaction.
While I understand the frustration and anger of political jobbers, particularly those persons loyal to the past administration that Osun people sent packing, I know that they will clutch at straws to rejuvenate their dead political careers.
The question posed to me on Oro Oselu, was whether I got money from the Adeleke dynasty before and during the elections. The interviewer added that some persons had pushed the narrative that although I took some money from the Adeleke dynasty for the purpose of Election, I had been telling people that I did not. This according to the rumour making the rounds, according to the interviewer, was part of the reasons certain persons attempted to ostracize me from government and the dynasty.
It was greatly important to clarify that I had never taken any personal money from the Adelekes, but had committed a lot of personal resources for some service providers. However, as I made to clarify the four million Naira that I got before the elections for an errand that I ran for one of the campaign committees, I attempted to make an illustration with the name of a certain Najimudeen Salam, who is an indigene of Osogbo.
It was at that moment that the interviewer gestured to me to wrap my answer up as time was up and the interview needed to close. There was no time for me to clarify that the Najimudeen Salam I mentioned is not the former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Najeem Folasayo Salaam. It was a case of same name, different persons.
The truth is, I did several assignments during the campaign period, part of which was mobilization of a group of eligible voters (under the leadership of a certain Najimudeen Salam), in Osogbo, who had shown interest in working with the Adelekes. The only money I ever took from the dynasty was the gift to members of a project which was meant for their empowerment.
The general public is advised to ignore the jobless spin doctors who are trying to deliberately misconstrue my statement to settle political scores with my leader and friend, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam. For record purpose, I restate that the former Speaker is not the one I was referring to in my statement. There was no financial transaction between the two of us before, during and after the July 16, 2022 governorship election.
I also use this medium to apologize to Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam for any embarrassment that the disinformation by the unscrupulous elements might have caused him. I hold him in high esteem and I cannot in anyway demean him directly or indirectly.
I must also state that I remain committed to the success of the administration of Sen. Ademola Adeleke and the actualization of a second term.
Signed:
Engr. Kehinde Raji (Aaraj)
