Oyo state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has berated the governorship candidate of APC in the coming Saturday’s election, Senator Teslim Folarin over a statement credited to him in one of his recent radio programs in Ibadan.
Folarin had criticized Govenor Seyi Makinde for establishing a Satellite Campus of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Iseyin area of Oke-ogun with focus on Agricultural based degree awarding programs, referring to Iseyin as an ordinary village undeserving of a university describing the resources deployed to the institution in the area as a waste and misplaced priority.
Reacting, the Publicity Secretary of PDP in Oyo state, Akeem Olatunji in a press statement on Monday afternoon on behalf of the ruling party described Folarin’s statement as regrettable, shameful, reckless, and insensitive.
Olatunji stated that the recent outburst credited to Folarin has further exposed his ulterior motives and hidden agenda for participating in the coming election while advising the APC governorship candidate to wait till Ibadan state is created to become governor maintaining that as a governor, the entire state regardless of his hatred for the people of Iseyin and Oke-ogun area, would become his state constituency.
The PDP Spokesman in the state reminded Folarin that it was not enough to just boast around as a governorship candidate without having an idea of the demands of the job stressing that Iseyin remains the food basket of Oyo state and deserves all the attention given to it by Governor Seyi Makinde.
Olatunji maintained that one of the best ways to develop an area on accelerated pace is to situate government institutions, particularly tertiary institutions of learning in such area as they attract people who in turn attract commercial activities that usually culminates into improved economy.
Olatunji wondered why Folarin has allowed himself and all the education he ever had blinded by his unbridled desperation to become governor at all cost maintaining that Folarin was merely aspiring to become Govenor of Ibadan state and must wait till such time arrives adding that no serious politician would condescend so low in his political disposition as to derogate such a strategically important area as Iseyin.
“It is very clear to even the deaf and the blind that the motivation fuelling Senator Teslim Folarin’s illusive political aspiration is the ‘His Excellency’ title attached to the name of the governor and has zero plan or agenda as how to govern a state. Suffice to say Folarin is only being deluded by the thought that the office of the governor was a souvenir anyone could pick up on turn by turn basis.
“It was even more worrisome that Oyo APC could not produce a single intellectually sound and economically savvy politician as opponent to race with Governor Seyi Makinde. No wonder Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (now president-elect) refused to either endorse or say a single word of support for his political aspiration.
“Any serious politician in Oyo APC would understand the political tragedy that has bedeviled them by Folarin’s candidature. A man who would refer to the food basket of Oyo state as an ordinary village undeserving of owning a university is a misfit for this race, and in the spirit of caution before the inevitable; election defeat happens on March 11, we advise Folarin to withdraw from this race and tender an unreserved apology to the industrious people of Iseyin with immediate effect.
“Governor Makinde whose economic foresight intellectual sagacity has led to the creation of LAUTECH, Iseyin campus has made history and given the people of the area a lifelong legacy that will remain with them forever. Iseyin people are very industrious, hardworking and result oriented people deserving of all the attention they’re enjoying under the leadership of Governor Makinde.
“We therefore, advise Folarin and his co-travelers to exercise patience in their political aspiration till Ibadan state is created since they’re only interested and concerned in governing Ibadan with disdainful disposition to other zones particularly Oke-ogun. Our people in Iseyin must adequately take it upon themselves to respond to this brazen insult on their collective sensibility by a man merely driven by an ordinary aspiration to be addressed as Mr Governor.” Olatunji stated.
