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For a good number of years, Senator Smart Adeyemi was one of the dominant voices at the floor of the upper chamber of the National Assembly. The journalist turned politician represented the Kogi West from 2007 to 2015.
Adeyemi was one of the PDP leaders in the north central and was also a close pal of oil magnate, Chief Jide Omokore. The Iyara born dude recently decamped to the APC with his supporters and he has emerged one of the party’s chieftains courtesy Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, a House of Representatives member in Lagos who reportedly recommended him to the APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who has been consistently opposed the emergence of Yahaya Bello as Governor.
James Faleke is currently challenging Bello for the governorship seat and is now relying on judicial intervention to correct what his camp regarded an anomaly. Meanwhile, we have gathered that, Smart might soon emerge as replacement for the late Minister of State for Labour, James Ocholi. Yahaya Bello is an Ebira while his deputy is an Igala leaving the Okun axis with no important political office. Though Ocholi was an Igala, the Tinubu’s camp is canvassing for an Okun minister and Adeyemi already has his name penciled for the slot.
Meanwhile, the Governor Bello camp is also strategizing and working on contacts to corner the slot for the governor’s preference for ministerial seat and block Smart Adeyemi’s chances of getting the ministerial slot, we shall keep you updated as events unfold.
-Akinlolu Abayomi
