Tunde Adeleke, Osogbo
Barely seven days to the Osun State governorship election, a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state on Sunday endorsed the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Oyebamiji.
The faction led by former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, made the public declaration which was attended by leaders and members of the party at WOCDIF Event Centre in Osogbo on Sunday.
Speaking at the event, Oyinlola stressed that they remain in PDP, saying their decision to support Oyebamiji was based on their conscience and what they considered the interest of Osun State.
He said, “We are not defecting from the PDP but had resolved to support a candidate they believed could provide inclusive leadership and a different direction for the state.
“Party loyalty is important, but the interest of Osun State must always come first.
“We were among the major stakeholders who worked tirelessly towards the emergence of the present administration under the platform of the PDP.
“We believed in that project. We supported it. We mobilised our people for it. We invested our time, energy and political capital in it because we believed that it represented the aspirations of our people.
“Unfortunately, along the line, things began to fall apart. One of the major issues that have created this unfortunate situation, in our considered view, is the lack of inclusiveness in the governance of our state.”
He urged the APC candidate to run an inclusive government if elected, listen to the people and ensure that all parts of the state were represented.
“You must put the people first and run an inclusive government. You must listen to the people. You must ensure that every part of Osun feels represented in your government,” he said.
“We remain proud members of the Peoples Democratic Party. But today, in the interest of Osun State, we stand with AMBO.”
Also speaking, the Director-General of the APC Governorship Campaign Council, Hon. Wole Oke, apologised to the PDP leaders for supporting Governor Ademola Adeleke’s 2022 election bid against their position.
Oke, a former PDP member, described the gathering as a coming together of “progressive-minded people” to decide what he called the interest of Osun State.
He said Oyebamiji had been adequately prepared for the governorship position, having served the state for 12 years as Chairman of the Osun State Investment Company Limited (OSICOL) and Commissioner for Finance.
According to him, Oyebamiji possessed the experience and knowledge required to govern the state effectively.
“The gentleman(Governor Ademola Adeleke is a citizen of Osun State, he is our brother, but honestly is grossly incompetent,” Oke said.
He further declared that the election had already been won by Oyebamiji, saying the gathering represented the voice of the people of Osun State.
Former SSG, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, urged members of the emerging political structure to return to their respective polling units, wards and local government areas to mobilise support for the APC candidate.
Akinbade said previous endorsements should be set aside to concentrate on securing victory for Oyebamiji, adding that political permutations for the 2027 general elections should be suspended until after the Osun governorship election.
“We are putting aside our earlier endorsements but focusing on AMBO now. The 2027 permutation should wait while we deliver this state for APC,” he said.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former Osun governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, described Oyebamiji as a financial expert capable of reforming the state, noting that the APC candidate had served in public office for 12 years without being queried or summoned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Oyetola urged voters to support Oyebamiji, describing him as a man of good character who would fulfil his campaign promises.
Responding, Oyebamiji said the endorsement had made his task easier, noting that he had visited all the local government areas in the state about three times and received warm receptions from residents.
He said his campaign had received support from different segments of the population, including artisans, business operators, teachers, women, youths and the elderly.
Oyebamiji pledged to run an inclusive administration if elected, saying the support from the political leaders came with a responsibility to meet the expectations of the people.
“My father (Oyinlola), made demands that I must run an inclusive government. With all of you behind me as a governor, and perform creditably well, it will be a government of all and I will do my best to meet people’s expectations,” he said.
