Controversy continues to trail Oyo State Labour Party (LP) following the party’s adoption of Seyi Makinde, the current governor of the state as its candidate for the forthcoming gubernatorial election.

The ‘Obidient’ Moverment in Oyo State as well as some candidates contesting for the state House of Assembly under the LP have dissociated themselves from the endorsement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Makinde by the Oyo LP Chairman, Sadiq Atayese.

The dissociation was disclosed in a communique read by Ayodeji Babalola, a candidate of the House of Assembly from Ibadan South-East Constituency II.

Babalola expressed himself to newsmen following a meeting held at the Obi/Datti Campaign Office in Oke-Ado, Ibadan.

The statement was jointly signed by Babalola; Kayode Adejumo-Bello, Ibadan North Constituency II; Temidayo Taiwo, Ibadan South-West Constituency II, Oluwatoyin Okunlola, Oluyole Constituency and Sumonu Musa, Ibadan North-East Constituency II.

Babalola read: “Our attention has been drawn to a news item making the rounds in both the traditional and social media on the declaration of support for the Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressive Congress by some minority factions of the leadership of Labour Party in Oyo State towards the forthcoming gubernatorial and state House of Assembly elections in the state, an action that was taken unilaterally and in pursuit of personal agenda and aggrandisement.

“The movement and all candidates hereby totally dissociate themselves from the selfish stand of those negligible and greedy elements.

“The entire public is hereby put on notice to beware of this desperate move.

“We like to put it on record that, the Obi-dient Movement is an assemblage of over 120 support groups who are attracted to politics by their interest in the aspiration of Peter Obi to become the President of this great country, hence the coinage, Obi-dient.

“Therefore, majority of us are card-carrying members of Labour Party and at the same time very staunch members of the Obi-dient Movement. This same support for our master is unequivocally extended to all candidates of the party nationwide and in Oyo state particularly.

“In the light of the declaration, it, therefore, becomes incumbent on us to come out clearly to declare our stand on the declaration of these factions of leaders within the Labour Party in the state.

“All Obidient members are hereby urged to remain calm, maintain status quo ante bellum, while we go out en masse on Saturday to massively vote for all our state assembly candidates and our gubernatorial candidate, Taofiq Akinwale.”

The candidate of the Labour Party in Ibadan North Federal Constituency for the National Assembly elections, Femi Akin-Alamu, however, maintained that the party had endorsed Makinde as its governorship candidate for the election.

Akin-Alamu in a statement on Monday said: “After much thoughts, prayers and consultation with the leadership of Labour Party in the state, I, together with other leaders of the Labour Party in the state, have decided to give our full and unreserved support to the person that we believe stands way above others in our assessment.

“We cannot preach a different gospel when it seems not to favour the candidate of our party. Party loyalty cannot be put above public good.

“The leadership of LP has met with the party’s gubernatorial candidate for a review after the presidential election and arrived at the realisation that it was better to support the re-election bid of Governor Makinde.”

He added that the party’s governorship candidate, Tawfiq Akinwale, had not proven his readiness for Saturday’s polls in the areas of funding and others.

“He was requested to tell the assembly his plans, vision, strategy and budget for the election.

He was also requested to tell how much he has to spend for the elections and if there was any shortfall between his budget and how much he had,” he added.

Akin-Alamu stated that Akinwale, instead of responding to the questions, was rather angered by them.

Oyo Guber: Disagreement Persists In LP Over Makinde’s Endorsement

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