…Say He Is On His Own
By Raji Adebayo, Ibadan
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, leaders and stakeholders in Oyo State have disagreed with the state governor over his stance on the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
This development has given a boost to Abubakar’s chances, as the PDP leaders and stakeholders in Oyo State have insisted that they will be working for the success of of the party’s presidential candidate; and that Makinde was only speaking for himself, but not for the generality of the party members, leaders and stakeholders.
Recall that Governor Makinde had on Saturday, during a live radio programme, said that himself and other aggrieved PDP governors would not work for the presidential candidate of the party for some reasons.
Makinde had on the radio programme said that a Northerner cannot complete eight-year tenure and also return power to the North for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to take over.
The governor also argued that the National Chairman of the party cannot come from the North and the presidential candidate of the party also emerging from the North.
But, speaking at an emergency meeting of the leaders of the party from the 33 local government areas of the state, former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Elder Wole Oyelese, and a foremost leader of the party, Engr. Femi Babalola, in their separate remarks said that Makinde was not speaking for the party in the state, but speaking for himself.
They said that PDP leaders in Oyo State would work and deliver the state for the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Abubakar in 2023.
Oyelese said, “A good politician would not speak like that. For Makinde to say he would not work for Atiku doesn’t mean anything. He is on his own! It is an empty threat! If he said we should not vote for Atiku, who are we voting for?
“We are too sophisticated for that in Oyo State. Makinde is a new comer in Oyo State politics, but we shall continue to work for our party. However, we are working for Atiku in a special way. My advise for any politician, who wants to win in Oyo State is to come to mainstream.
Mainstream is the leadership of the party in the state.
“What is the position of Yoruba on this matter that Makinde is talking about? We don’t have a position. Baba Fasoranti is saying something and Baba Adebanjo is saying another thing. We are not having a position in Yorubaland. Our members remain steadfast and committed. This is our party and we cannot allow it to breakdown.”
Also speaking, Engr. Babalola, popularly know as Jogor, said that the governor is also guilty of the points he raised against the PDP presidential candidate, Abubakar.
Babalola said, “He that comes to equity must come with clean hands. As an engineer, I analyse issues. The first question I asked myself was, is it good for a Northerner to take over from a Northerner? And another question is that is it good for an Ibadan man to take over from another Ibadan man who spent eight years? So, for Makinde, who benefited from such, why is he now antagonising another person? He didn’t see anything that is wrong in that, but when it is Atiku, it is wrong.
“Also, did he distributed key positions equitably, key positions were appointed from the governor’s local government, Ibadan North East, the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, the Commissioner for Finance, the Commissioner for Local Government and the only PDP senator in Oyo State are all from Ibadan North East. He is now speaking about equity, that should not come from him.
“We are for Atiku and we are for the PDP, you can see leaders and stakeholders across the 33 local government areas here, and we are all ready to win Oyo State for our presidential candidate.”
