Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan

African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State of abandoning a pre-election agreement which he signed with the party on March 2, 2019.

The allegation was made by ADC candidates for Oyo State House of Assembly during a press conference at the Press Centre of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Iyaganku, Ibadan.

Four political parties, including ADC, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Social Democratic (SDP), signed the coalition agreement on March 2, 2019, which spelt out the sharing formula of political appointments across board.

In the agreement, it was agreed that 64 percent of political appointments should go to PDP, and 30 percent to ADC, while gets ZLP and SDP should have five and one percent respectively.

Signatories to the agreement include Governor Makinde for PDP, Olufemi Lanlehin for ADC, Sarafadeen Alli for ZLP and Bolaji Ayorinde of SDP, who were all governorship candidates of their parties, before dropping their ambitions and supported the candidature of Makinde.

Spokesperson for the candidates, Gaphar Ojetola, from Ibadan North State Constituency I, was supported by Abeeb Balogun from Ibadan South West Constituency II, Tolani Tajudeen from Ibadan South West Constituency I, Akindipe Akinsunbo from Ibadan North West, and Paul Alagbe from Ogbomoso North Constituency I.

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They reaffirmed their loyalty to the leadership of Lanlehin, and enjoined Makinde to redeem his promises according to the terms of agreement before the election.

“We regret to announce that almost nine months into this government till date, Governor Makinde has not fulfilled any of the agreements reached between our principal, Lanlehin and himself,” Ojetola said.

The group said they were direct casualties and sacrificial lambs of the alliance as all their 32 House of Assembly seats went along the coalition, adding: “The body language of the governor is that of abandonment to fulfilling his own part of the agreement despite that we have staked everything possible to his electoral victory at the poll. That victory was our joint efforts and the terms of the promises should be fulfilled without further delay.

“We have sacrificed so much than to be abandoned, used and dumped, ignored or treated in this manner. We should be setting good precedence, as we did in the last election.”

Ojetola noted that they did not request and were not given any financial compensation before consenting to the terms of the alliance, adding they were repeatedly assured of consideration for political appointments.

“These assurances were also re-emphasised with us by the governor during his thank-you-visit to Lanlehin residence,” he said.