From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Criticalstakeholders across the 10 local government areas of Oke-Ogun zone of Oyo State rose from a meeting on Saturday and resolved the zone should produce the next senator for Oyo North.
The meeting held at The Prince Place, Oke-Sunnah, Saki, was organised by the Oke-Ogun Indigenous Youth Solidarity Forum, for all indigenes of the zone that obtained Oyo North senatorial district expression of interest and nomination forms, across all political parties, for the 2023 general election with a united front.
The Oyo North senatorial aspirants that attended the meeting were serving member of House of Representatives, Shina Abiola Peller, representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency of Oyo State; former chairman, Iseyin Local Government, Saheed Alaran; former special adviser to former governor Lam Adesina, Sola Ogunbode; and a top banker and management consultant, Adeboyin Adeola.
The four senatorial aspirants and other speakers unanimously rejected a third term bid for the current senator, Abdulfatai Buhari.
The uproar in Oke-Ogun came as PDP picked Akinwale Akinwale, an indigene of Ogbomoso, as consensus candidate.
Speaking on the occasion, Peller noted that Oke-Ogun has been marginalised in the scheme of things, adding that 13 local government areas make up Oyo North senatorial district. He explained that out of them, Oke-Ogun has 10 local governments, while Ogbomoso has three local governments.
“The present senator (Buhari) that is representing Oyo North in the National Assembly is from Ogbomoso. In the history of Oke-Ogun, there has never been a senator that has done two terms. So, when he wanted the second term, in the name of continuity and peaceful co-existence, we gave them (Ogbomoso) our support.”
