Barely a week to the rescheduled gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections across the country, the gubernatorial candidates of the various political parties in Oyo State have been charged to avoid bitterness and undue acrimony as they make final efforts to get the mandate of residents of Oyo State.
This charge was made by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Sen. Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II at his Alarere residence while playing host to the gubernatorial candidate of Action Democratic (ADP) in Oyo State, Akim Adebola Yusuf, who was accompanied to the monarch by party stalwarts in the state to receive royal blessings.
The gubernatorial election earlier scheduled for Saturday 11th March was shifted by a week and now to hold on 18th March according to the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The postponement gave the political parties a week window of opportunity to do more campaigns ahead of the election.
Oba Balogun, on whose behalf the Ekerin Olubadan, High Chief Hamidu Ajibade spoke at the visit which had in attendance, Comrade Olaolu Oni, who is the Director-General of the campaign organisation said the charge became imperative in view of the need for the gubernatorial candidates of the various political parties to come together after the election to build a virile Oyo State.
The monarch in a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan by Oladele Ogunsola, his Personal Assistant (Media) remarked that reconciliation would be very difficult to achieve post election if some people are psychologically and emotionally hurt in the course of electioneering campaigns, adding, “yet, none of you aspiring to lead the state presently is a push-over in terms of manifesto packaging and delivery. The state needs you all, but talking realistically, only one of you would be elected.
“Thus, if we allow love and brotherliness to guide and guard our utterances and actions during the campaigns, coming together both as elected and opposition to work together on how to move the state forward would not be difficult and our people would be better for it. That’s my charge and that’s what I think is the best for our darling state.
“I’m very happy and proud that our state is blessed with people of vision and focus, highly cerebral and cosmopolitan in outlook and this makes our state very lucky, in that whoever emerges after the election surely has something to offer. But, it would be an icing on our cake if all of you think of the greatness of the state by ensuring that the gate of friendship post election is not shut through bitterness and acrimonious campaigns”, the monarch added.
Earlier in his presentation, the gubernatorial hopeful disclosed that he had been running away from politics for a long time but caved in to pressure in realization of the need to offer his quota based on his wide range of experience and exposure, noting that from what he’s been seeing around, there’s a lot to do to make the state better.
According to him, “we can do better than what we are seeing presently. Why should we be building motor parks when we have classrooms that are not conducive for effective and efficient learning? Why, in this age should we be powering street light with power generators when solar power is the in-thing across the globe”, the retired banking guru asked?
The Oyo ADP standard-bearer disclosed that three critical segments of the society, comprising the aged, women and the youths would have to be given the desired attention for proper development to take place. “While the aged, among whom are the traditional rulers represent our past and from whom we gather wisdom, the women are the pillar of any society because it is through them that humanity expands while the youths represent the future we look unto”, he added.
