Former Oyo State governor, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, has described allegations in some quarters that he is not qualified to be the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State as unwitting and shortsighted.

The former governor is the chairman of the APC reconciliation committee in Oyo State. However, some party members had faulted his emergence as the chairman of the committee describing him as a relatively new member of the party.

The opposition against his appointment as the chairman of the committee precedes the death of former Governor Abiola Ajimobi, who appointed him in his capacity as Deputy National Chairman of the party.

Reacting to the criticism against him, Alao-Akala said: “Those purveying the news are political neophytes and non-starters.

“I have read and heard comments by some politicians about the leadership of the party, after the untimely death of former Governor Abiola Ajimobi, and I am not ready to join issues with them because they lack the political experience and exposure to understand that people command leadership and not demand it.

“The purveyors of the rumour, to say the least, are political neophytes and non-starters. I have not told nor begged anybody that I want to lead the party. The leadership of the party would emerge naturally.

“Those people are just privileged because they joined the party before me, not because they know what leadership is all about.

“By the special grace of God, I have been whatever I had prayed to be in this state. I have paid my dues as a politician of note. Those running their mouths on party leadership are non-starters.

“What is uppermost in my mind now is to take the party out of the woods by making sure that peace and genuine reconciliation is achieved in the party ahead of future elections.”