2023: Tegbe, Ilaka, other candidates ‘ll defy Makinde over stance on Atiku’s candidature – Olopoeniyan
Contrary to the claim made by Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde that all Oyo PDP candidates vying for national assembly election in February 2023 will heed his call by working against the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar during the 2023 presidential election, a former PDP Chieftain in Oyo State, Alhaji Adebisi Olopoeniyan has disclosed that PDP candidates seeking for national assembly election will ignore Governor Makinde’s call and instead work assiduously towards Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s victory.
Alhaji Olopoeniyan made this revelation while reacting to the questions asked by YES FM crew led by its owner, Mr. Yemi Sonde regarding the statement made by Governor Makinde while speaking during a live interview recently in Ibadan.
The Olopoeniyan’s video interview monitored by The Bell Online News was uploaded on the official Facebook page of the Ibadan based radio station.
According to Alhaji Olopoeniyan, a Chieftain of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the South-West argued that the statement credited to Governor Makinde that all the candidates especially the ones vying for national assembly positions will follow him jn rejecting his party’s presidential candidate was a mere “radio talk that does not have a single substance and hence not practicable in Nigerian politics”.
Alhaji Olopoeniyan noted that what is happening to Governor Makinde in PDP that he could not take was exactly what he did to him and other chieftains that made them to leave PDP for other political parties.
The NNPP Chieftain argued that PDP candidates like Joseph Tegbe, Bisi Ilaka and others knew quite well that failure to work for their party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar would have an adverse effect on their own election hence they would never heed the Governor’s call.
Alhaji Olopoeniyan revealed that Governor Makinde was only fooling himself if he thinks he has any political clout or structure that could sway votes in his favour.
Expatiating on what led to the victory of Alhaji Atiku in Oyo State during the 2019 presidential election, Alhaji Olopoeniyan revealed that the victory was due to the total votes cast for PDP by other political parties and not as a result of Governor Makinde’s popularity or PDP votes alone adding that Governor Makinde is leaving in a fool’s paradise if he thinks he has the structure to win election in Oyo State .
In his words, Oyo PDP won by a thousand’s votes in the 2019 presidential election. Don’t forget that other political parties like ADP, ADC and the rest cast their votes for PDP during that election. So why would Governor Makinde who had never won any election before then would think that it was his popularity and capacity that won that election.
“One thing that is certain is that, he is not coming back after this tenure. He is certainly going to loose the election”, he concluded.
It will be recalled that The Bell Online News had recently published a story about the anxiety among PDP members in Oyo State following Governor Makinde’s resolve not to work for Atiku if Iyiorcha Ayu does not resign his position as PDP chairman.
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