A businessman and oil engineer, Seyi Makinde, yesterday declared his resolve to give the governorship candidates of the four major political parties in Oyo State a run for their money and much touted popularity in the 2015 election under a new party, the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Makinde, a former aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declared at a press conference in Ibadan, the state capital that he has dumped his old party, because of how the party subverted its own guideline and defied a court ruling to conduct a shadow election in which only about 10 per cent of the eligible delegates participated on Monday, December 8 and returned former Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin as the candidate. The primary election was boycotted by Makinde and two other aspirants.
With his action, the number of candidates for the February 28, 2015 election has risen to five. Before now, two former governors- Rashidi Ladoja (Accord Party) and Adebayo Alao-Akala (Labour Party), the incumbent, Governor Abiola Ajimobi (All Progressive Congress), as well as Folarin (PDP) had secured their various parties’ tickets to contest the poll.
Makinde flayed the PDP national leadership for turning a blind eye to the alleged injustice meted out to him and others, stressing that, “how can this same party have a candidate, who claims to have been elected with 167votes which is just about 10 percent of the total number of delegates after the majority or 1, 053 delegates were disenfranchised.”
Makinde said he joined the gubernatorial race in the state to improve the standard of living of the people through responsive and responsible leadership, adding that: “I am concerned about the level of deprivation of our people. Poverty has dehumanized and debased the quality of lives down to a level that is incompatible with human dignity.
“In my private capacity, I have tried to lift them up, but I believe that with the instruments of governance, we can together move farther than any private effort. I have seen in my interactions with people that they believe in what we are doing and they are ready to support us to the best their abilities can take them. I therefore feel that they deserve the opportunity to be given a platform to realize the election of the governor of their hope.
“Our people still believe in democracy, fairness, level playing field and justice for all. However, it is impossible to realise this objective in a party that has proved repeatedly that it is an antithesis of this same belief.
It is in the light of this, after fruitless efforts to ensure that free and fair election prevails within PDP and witnessing the yearnings of the ordinary people of Oyo State that are asking for change for the reduction of poverty (i.e daily sufferings) due to poor governance; I find it extremely difficult to shy away from this popular demand to make a difference in the lives of my people.”
Makinde, a former aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declared at a press conference in Ibadan, the state capital that he has dumped his old party, because of how the party subverted its own guideline and defied a court ruling to conduct a shadow election in which only about 10 per cent of the eligible delegates participated on Monday, December 8 and returned former Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin as the candidate. The primary election was boycotted by Makinde and two other aspirants.
With his action, the number of candidates for the February 28, 2015 election has risen to five. Before now, two former governors- Rashidi Ladoja (Accord Party) and Adebayo Alao-Akala (Labour Party), the incumbent, Governor Abiola Ajimobi (All Progressive Congress), as well as Folarin (PDP) had secured their various parties’ tickets to contest the poll.
Makinde flayed the PDP national leadership for turning a blind eye to the alleged injustice meted out to him and others, stressing that, “how can this same party have a candidate, who claims to have been elected with 167votes which is just about 10 percent of the total number of delegates after the majority or 1, 053 delegates were disenfranchised.”
Makinde said he joined the gubernatorial race in the state to improve the standard of living of the people through responsive and responsible leadership, adding that: “I am concerned about the level of deprivation of our people. Poverty has dehumanized and debased the quality of lives down to a level that is incompatible with human dignity.
“In my private capacity, I have tried to lift them up, but I believe that with the instruments of governance, we can together move farther than any private effort. I have seen in my interactions with people that they believe in what we are doing and they are ready to support us to the best their abilities can take them. I therefore feel that they deserve the opportunity to be given a platform to realize the election of the governor of their hope.
“Our people still believe in democracy, fairness, level playing field and justice for all. However, it is impossible to realise this objective in a party that has proved repeatedly that it is an antithesis of this same belief.
It is in the light of this, after fruitless efforts to ensure that free and fair election prevails within PDP and witnessing the yearnings of the ordinary people of Oyo State that are asking for change for the reduction of poverty (i.e daily sufferings) due to poor governance; I find it extremely difficult to shy away from this popular demand to make a difference in the lives of my people.”
No comments:
Post a Comment