A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Osun State, led by former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has endorsed the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
The faction, associated with the Saminu Turaki-led PDP group, mobilized members and supporters from across the state’s local government areas to declare its support for Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, at the WOCDIF Event Centre in Osogbo.
The endorsement event was attended by former African Democratic Congress governorship candidate and former Secretary to the Osun State Government under Oyinlola, Fatai Akinbade; a former PDP South-West Vice Chairman, Taju Oladipo; and other party leaders and former political office holders.
Addressing the gathering, Oyinlola said the group remained members of the PDP but had decided to support Oyebamiji in what he described as the larger interest of Osun State.
“Let me begin by making one thing very clear: we remain members of the Peoples Democratic Party, the PDP. Our membership of the PDP is not in question.
“However, being members of a political party does not mean that we should abandon our conscience or the larger interest of the people we have served. Party loyalty is important, but the interest of Osun State must always come first.
“It is on this basis that we have resolved to officially declare our support for Mr Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC,” he said.
Oyinlola said the decision was driven by what he described as the need for a change of direction in the state. He also criticized the present administration for allegedly failing to adequately involve political stakeholders in governance.
“We were among the major stakeholders who worked tirelessly towards the emergence of the present administration under the platform of the PDP.
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“We believed in that project. We supported it. We mobilized 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 said.
The former governor said his political experience, alongside that of other members of the group, had enabled them to assess the situation in the state.
“We believe strongly that no party or government can succeed sustainably when it does not carry its people and leaders along,” he said.
Oyinlola also stressed that the endorsement should not be interpreted as his abandonment of the PDP. “By the grace of God, I had the privilege of serving as Governor of Osun State for seven and a half years.
Many of the distinguished leaders seated here today, as well as the majority of members of this convergence, have served our state in one capacity or another and have contributed immensely to the growth and development of Osun.
“We are therefore not newcomers to the political affairs of Osun State. We understand the history, we understand the struggles, and we understand the circumstances that brought us to where we are today. “Let me repeat that our decision today should not be interpreted as an abandonment of the PDP,” he said.
Responding, Oyebamiji pledged to run an inclusive administration if elected, saying all stakeholders would have a role in decision-making.
“Those seated here are Osun’s stakeholders. There is no way one will abandon your wisdom and experiences if he wants to succeed as governor.
“I am assuring you that we will not abandon anyone in the running of the state. We won’t restrict governance to just a family or a community,” he said.
Earlier, the Director-General of the APC Campaign Council, Wole Oke, urged members of the PDP faction to return to their respective wards and polling units to mobilize support for Oyebamiji.
Oke assured them that an APC administration would promote what he described as inclusive governance across the state.
Vanguard
