From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Members of the state and national assemblies, aides, friends and government functionaries, yesterday, pooled resources and purchased expression of interest and nomination forms for Osun Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, to re-contest the state’s governoship seat.
Led by Bashiru Adebola, they stormed the national headquarters of the party and announced that their decision to purchase the forms was not an indication that they were persuading him to re-contest.
“The governor, during a meeting of the traditional council last week, openly and publicly declared his interest to contest. The fact that we have picked up the form doesn’t mean we are persuading him and, of course, if somebody who has a vision to actualise and he has already been actualising that, and he wants to ensure that he utilises the maximum constitutional limit that the law gives him.
“We believe in continuity and we, his friends, have decided to pick up the forms…(it) doesn’t mean he is not interested in giving leadership and continue in office beyond November 2022,” Adebola said.
On the possibility of table turning against the governor following mass defection of party members to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) he said: “There is nothing like mass defection, in fact, if there’s any movement, it is movement to the APC. From what is on ground, objectively, and you can go and conduct a vox pop in the streets of Osun, the party to beat is APC and the aspirant that will get the mandate of APC is Oyetola, no doubt about it.”
He dismissed calls that Oyetola should resign his membership of Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).
“I believe the governor would avail himself of legal advice as to whether there would be any contravention of the constitution and I said that advisedly not in terms of bias because if your logic about being bias would also mean that the governor should resign from being a governor because he’s contesting for the office of the governor.”
