The peaceful atmosphere that pervaded the conduct of the presidential and National Assembly (NASS) elections in Oyo State on Saturday has been applauded by the state’s gubernatorial candidate for the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Engr. Oyedele Hakeem Alao (OHA) popularly known as ‘Allow Alao’.
Engr. Alao, who spoke with journalists after casting his votes at Ward 5, Unit 2, Ikolaba High School, Ikolaba GRA Ibadan in Ibadan North Local Government area of the state lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the exercise.
He told the pressmen that as at around noon when he came to the voting centre, the reports he gathered from across the various political zones in the state like Oke-Ogun 1 and 2, Ogbomoso, Oyo, Ibarapa and Ibadanland were very encouraging and satisfying.
The governorship hopeful said if the reports gathered across the state were anything to go by and if such is replicated across the country, then, the postponement of the elections last week by a week must have been worthwhile and INEC should be commended.
On the supposed alliance of some opposition parties in the state against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) which the AD gubernatorial candidate was not invited to, he said there was no way he could have been invited having made known the position of his party on which of the presidential candidates to support.
According to him, “to the best of my knowledge, the alliance meeting was called to work out the modalities of how they would work for the candidature of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in today’s (Saturday) election in person of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar which everybody knew our position on.
“You will recall that ahead of the earlier scheduled date of the election last week, I had come out to direct our supporters to cast their votes for the APC presidential candidate, the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari. So, with that known position, it would be wrong to invite me to any meeting on the same issue again”, he added.
Engr. Alao further explained that he was not indisposed to any talk with anybody or group of persons on who governs Oyo State as from 29th May this year, though not at the detriment of his ambition, saying, “we are open to talks with anybody or any group, who are ready to work with us to salvage the already bad situation in the state.
“Our doors are open to all, whoever is ready to work with us will be accommodated. But, to think or suggest that we will relinquish our party’s mandate for anybody or purpose is a joke of the century. We are in the race for a serious electoral fight with our opponents and hopefully, we will carry the day by the special grace of Almighty Allah”, he said.
