A senatorial aspirant in Oyo state, Bimbo Kolade, has withdrawn the suit challenging the credibility of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in the state.
Kolade, who vied for the Oyo Central Senatorial ticket in the May 28 primary election in the district, had approached the Federal High Court, Ibadan, to nullify the election over alleged irregularities.
In the suit filed on June 10, the former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters urged the court to declare the primary election as null and void.
However, in a statement issued on Thursday, Kolade said it was time to move on and support the party in the 2023 elections.
He said the party was bigger than his ambition, and would not allow his grievance to affect the performance of APC in next year’s election.
The statement read: “I have laboured so much in the progressive fold from inception till this moment, and the true progressives’ character is totally different from the emergency progressives, therefore, I cannot allow seasonal occurrences (which are just for a while) to endanger our perennial togetherness.
“My party APC is the first and foremost in my mind, before my ambition because a political party in whatever name will be forever. But ambition will end in a day either by choice or by force.
“In view of this, I, Hon. Bimbo Kolade, Oyo Central Senatorial Aspirant, has decided to write my very own story before the news merchants trade it otherwise.
“In the spirit of progressiveness, I have decided to withdraw the lawsuit filed at the Federal High Court in Ibadan, challenging the processes and procedures of Oyo Central Senatorial Primary Election 2022.
“May I reiterate that the usual manner in the political circle is to withdraw a case in exchange of money, this ‘DID NOT’ happen and ‘WILL NOT’ happen.
“All the necessary steps will be taken by my legal team at the court of law, informing the court of my decision to withdraw the case.
“I am committed to my people, my party, APC and my political team, IREDE. God bless Oyo Central, God bless APC, God bless Nigeria.”