A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo State and governorship candidate in the 2015 election, Mr Seyi Makinde, has described Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s account of his meeting with him in Ireland, Dublin, sometime ago as an attempt to stand truth on its head.
The governor had told the Tribune Online that he advised Makinde to first go to the Senate to garner political experience when the latter approached broached his governorship aspiration to him at the meeting.
Speaking with Tribune Online on telephone, Makinde, who confirmed that he did discuss his governorship aspiration with Governor Ajimobi, said the governor told me in response that “he is one of the people he will like to hand over to in 2019.”
“The governor never told me to go to the Senate first. He said I am one of the people he will like to hand over to when he finishes. He even said I should join his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), but I refused.
“There was a third party, Dare Adeleke, at the meeting. I can even link him on the phone as we speak. There is no truth in the statement about Senate. If going to the Senate is a prerequisite to doing well as governor, in what way has his experience in the Senate shown in his six years of poor governance in the state?” he asked rhetorically.
On why he and the governor, who were hitherto together in the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), went separate ways politically, Makinde said Ajimobi did not demonstrate to him he would be a good leader worthy of emulating.
“I contested Senatorial election and his election as governor [in ANPP in 2007] came before mine. I even spent more money on his election than my own election. After he lost, he abandoned me and never cared about my election. I said to myself that he is not the kind of leader after whom I can take,” he said.
Makinde, an engineer, said he knew the 2019 governorship election in the state would be would be a very tough battle and was prepared for it, adding that the state needs a breath of fresh air to move forward.
“We need someone who has not been tainted by the shenanigans that is going on in the name of politics in the state. 2019 is going to be a very tough battle and we are prepared for it. God sparing our lives, there shall be a new dawn in the state,” he assured.
