APC refuses to clear minister ahead of Oyo state primaries

The Minister of Communication,

According to a statement by the ruling party, Shittu is yet to be cleared in his bid to participate in the governorship primaries holding on Saturday, September 29, 2018.

TheCable reports that the party revealed Shittu's non-possession of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, certificate as the reason for his non-clearance.

ALSO READ: Shittu shares President Buhari’s re-election caps

We are ready to fight for justice in Oyo APC , Shittu insists

Adebayo Shittu, on Sunday, vowed that the aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State would not relent until justice prevailed.

Shittu made the remark in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the APCConvention venue in Abuja.

The minister, who has never hidden his intention to contest for the governorship seat in the state on the APC platform come 2019, has been having a running battle with Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State over who controls the party’s structure in the state.

Adebayo shittu skips NYSC, risks jail term

Communications minister, Adebayo Shittu -- famous for distributing President Buhari’s re-election caps during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting -- did not present himself for the mandatory one-year NYSC scheme.

Skipping the compulsory national service is an offence under the NYSC law, punishable with up to 12-month imprisonment.

“Months of discreet checks at the NYSC headquarters showed that the communications minister did not present himself for service after graduation and is yet to do so till date,” the report said.

According to the report, the minister who was born on March 23, 1953, studied law at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, graduating in 1978. He proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, qualifying as a lawyer in 1979.

Having earned a bachelor’s degree at the age of 25, Section 2 of the NYSC Act expects Shittu to have participated in the year-long national service.