Former lawmaker who represented Oyo North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Gbenga Babalola has said that it will be unfair “if the people of Oke-Ogun geopolitical zone of the state are not allowed to produce the next governor of the state in 2019”.
The Iseyin-born politician stated this while speaking with journalists in an interview in Ibadan, the state capital at the weekend.
Babalola, who insisted that it is not necessary for the people of the zone to come out with a consensus candidate for the zone to produce the next governor, argued that major political parties in the state should field aspirants from the zone in order to be fair with the people of the area.
The ADC chieftain, while speaking further remarked that all the major political parties in the state should present Oke-Ogun indigenes as their gubernatorial candidates in 2019, instead of asking the zone to come out with a consensus candidate.
Babalola said, “I don’t believe that the problem is the failure of the Oke – Ogun people to produce a consensus candidate, because in democracy we cannot all be in one party. The problem is that we the people of Oke – Ogun have been shortchanged.
“It will be unfair if the people of Oke – Ogun geo-political zone of the state are not allowed to produce the next governor of the state in 2019.
They have not been given their rightful place in Oyo state. We are talking of about one – third of Oyo state, with ten local government areas.
“We are working seriously to make sure that all major political parties in Oyo state present Oke-Ogun indigenes as their candidates. If that happens, definitely Oke Ogun will produce the next governor of our state.”
On his recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to ADC, Babalola said he left his former political party because “it has been hijacked and pocketed by some people.
“There is nothing serious. We are only changing platform. Initially we thought that we would be able to do it through the PDP, but from what is happening in Oyo state today, PDP has been hijacked and pocketed by some people. Since that is the case, we have to look for a better platform where we can express our aspirations,” he added.
(Daily Post)
