Those clamouring for the zoning of the Oyo governorship slot ahead of the 2019 election have been advised to bury the idea.
Sen. AbdulFatai Buhari, who represents Oyo North in the National Assembly, who made the disclosure, said that the current structure in Oyo State did not support zoning, adding that the idea would not work in the present circumstance.
According to Buhari, who spoke with reporters in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, Buhari, any party insisting on zoning would fail.
Buhari, who is the Chairman of Senate Committee on ICT and Cybercrime, added that “it is better to allow the best candidate emerge, regardless of where he or she comes from or which political affiliation he or she aligns with, instead of clamouring for zoning.”
Said he: “The assessment of individual, based on what they can do for the masses, is the key thing. The masses do not care where you come from; all they want is who will bring to their tables three square meals. Oke Ogun and Ogbomoso have 13 local government areas. That is where I represent. You cannot push them aside in the equation of things.
“I will be honest with you: they have great potential. You will be shocked to hear the names of great personalities from the zone. They include a former registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB), Prof Dibu Ojerinde. Prof Adeniyi is from Oke Ogun. He is a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) and he is from Ogbooro. One of the most brilliant lawyers we have in the country today, Ahmed Raji (SAN), is from Oke Ogun. So, there are great people like them.
“Let’s be honest with each other: they’ve got the fair share of brilliance and they are intelligent people. If today you see somebody from that area who has the potential and intellect like the people I have mentioned, who is interested to be governor, they will compete favourably with anybody from other zone.”
He reiterated that zoning would not work in Oyo State, saying that any politician clamouring for it was deceiving the people.
The former House of Representatives member said Oyo is a unique state where people play serious politics without emotion and sympathy, explaining that: “Again, if you look at the state of things in Oyo State, Ibadan has done it, Ogbomoso has also done it. And we have five zones. It is only Ibarapa, Oyo and Oke Ogun that are yet to produce a governor.”
