Wale Akinselure
Governorship of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Oyo State, Mr Micheal Lana has declared support for the candidature of governor Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Saturday’s elections.
Lana made this disclosure while addressing journalists in Ibadan, on Tuesday.
Lana said he and his supporters arrived at the decision having confirmed the credibility of Makinde and the need for the governor to have a second term to continue with his strides in governance.
He, especially, described as insulting and demeaning how the leaders of the SDP treated him in arriving at a recent decision to support the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Teslim Folarin.
It will be recalled that the State Working Committee (SWC) of the SDP led by Micheal Okunlade had last Thursday adopted Folarin as the governorship candidate for the forthcoming governorship election in the state, with Lana absent at the event.
Speaking on Tuesday, Lana, flanked by the Oyo PDP chairman, Mr Dayo Ogungbenro, said he would also mobilise other SDP House of Assembly candidates, party chairman, party members, clients and supporters to vote Makinde.
Lana said: “We are backing him for governor of Oyo State. We are supporting the candidature of Engineer Seyi Makinde. All my clients should support Seyi Makinde to conclude what he has started. The way and manner some leaders of the SDP treated us and published the fact that they are supporting the candidate of another party without consulting us are insulting and demeaning.
“All of us aggrieved party members started consulting; some House of Assembly candidates and party chairman were displeased with how the party was being run and we decided that if we cannot win alone, let us team up with another candidate but we have to check the credibility of the candidate before choosing. In the end, we all unanimously decided to team up with Engineer Seyi Makinde.”
Expressing delight at Lana’s decision to support Makinde, the Oyo PDP chairman, Mr Dayo Ogungbenro said Makinde will win Saturday’s election hands down.
He said all the PDP craved for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to guarantee a free and fair election.
Ogungbenro said the PDP was not interested in any form of rigging, or thuggery to win the election but that relevant agencies ensure that the votes of the Oyo people count.
He said: “We are happy. Our umbrella is very big to accommodate everybody. He becomes an important member within the rank and file of PDP in Oyo State and I am speaking the mind of Engineer Seyi Makinde.
“This is a game we are used to so there is nothing special about it and we are going to win. Every four years, you review the performance of those you put in power and it is a constitutional imperative. We don’t want Oyo State to be put on fire.
“We do not want thuggery, rigging; we are not asking for rigging from anybody, be it INEC or security agencies. All we want is that the vote of the Oyo people should count. And, I can assure you that Seyi Makinde will win his second term hands down.”
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