The All Progressives Congress APC in Oyo state has again called out Governor Seyi Makinde over an alleged claim that he had an agreement of partnership on the ongoing general election with the President-elect, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, warning him (Makinde) to bury idea of securing a second term in office through the instrumentality of blackmail, falsehood and propaganda.
The aftermath of the last presidential and national assembly elections has been greeted with exchange of words from the camp of Gov. Makinde and members of the opposition APC in the state on account of claims and counter claims about the governor playing a role in the victory of Sen. Tinubu over Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Sen. Rabiu Kwakwanso of the People’s Democratic Party, Labour Party and New Nigeria People’s Party respectively.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Ibadan and made available to press men by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC berated Gov. Makinde over “his overt and covert but futile efforts geared towards creating false impression about being instrumental to the emergence of Sen. Tinubu as the President-elect with a view to positioning himself for a soft landing at the next poll coming up this Saturday.
“Rather than respond to the challenge which we threw last week on this same subject matter, Gov. Makinde has continued to hide behind a finger by sponsoring some misguided individuals to spread the fake news about a purported agreement between the President-elect and the five aggrieved PDP governors referred to as G5. Gov. Makinde’s men mischievously tell the fake story of him delivering Oyo state to Sen. Tinubu on February 25 whereas they do not have a single fact to back up their claims.
“There are records of efforts put up by Oyo APC chieftains such as Sen. Teslim Folarin, Hon. Isaac Omodewu, Engr. Rauf Olaniyan, Barr. Adebayo Shittu, Dr. Fola Akinosun, Prof. Abideen Olaiya among others who visited all the media houses in the state to promote the candidature of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu while we also have it on record how Gov. Makinde’s media handlers used every available opportunity to run down the presidential candidate of the APC. In addition, members of public keep the record of all the coordinated vandalism done to the billboards and other outdoor campaign materials of the former Lagos state governor in every part of Oyo state.
“Again, we make bold to ask whether it Gov. Makinde who caused Oyo to be the state which gave Sen. Bola Tinubu the highest number of delegate votes at the APC presidential primary last year. We also put it to the governor and his sympathizers to bring out any media material or document in which he (Makinde) mentioned Tinubu as his choice presidential candidate before the declaration of poll results by INEC even as they have not produced the agreement they claim Asiwaju signed with the G5 governors.
“The truth remains that no reasonable political leader or gladiator would risk supporting Gov. Makinde for second term in view of his unenviable record of betrayal, backstabbing and poor performance in office. For the avoidance of doubt, Sen. Tinubu is abreast of happenings in Oyo state’s political space and he is comfortable with the choice of Sen. Teslim Folarin as the next governor of the Pacesetter and the person with him he would work to uplift our dear state.” Sadare added.
