By Seyifunmi Odunuga
Aspirants from Ibadan Southwest Local Government have commended the governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde for wielding maturity and wisdom in resolving a looming crisis in Ibadan Southwest Local Government in particular.
Governor Makinde endorsed party members in the Local Government’s resolve to conduct primary elections, as they moved to end the culture of impunity, greed and exploitation of party members, perpetrated by some leaders in the Local Government.
The aspirants in a communiqué signed after the meeting with the executive governor of Oyo State also commended Dr Saka Balogun and Alhaja Mutiat Ladoja who spoke to the admiration of all members and emphasised the need to consider popular opinion in tackling issues in the party.
Party members were particularly impressed with the way the former First Lady of Oyo State responded when asked to talk about issues in her local government (Ibadan North). She advised the Governor to consider women in his calculations in the next election while calling on His Excellency to consider a primary election as the lasting solution in Ibadan North after all her efforts to convince aspirants from her local government to adopt the consensus arrangement suggested by the Governor seemed to have received no cooperation from the aspirants.
Alhaja Ladoja stressed that there is no big deal going into the primary election, but that it should be seen as a friendly contest and all members should see themselves as members of the same family.
Dr Saka Balogun admonished aspirants to stop seeing leaders of the party as cheats and enemies of progress, pointing out that no leader of the party is interested in exploiting aspirants, as all they want for the party is nothing short of progress.
He challenged anyone with evidence to contradict his claim to come forward and tell the audience if he ever received a penny from any member of the party in its leadership assignment.
Dr Balogun mentioned that engagement was failing in a few of the local governments where aspirants insist on primary election because the leaders in such local governments failed to call all concerned aspirants and educate them on the consensus arrangement and particularly let them know the position of the party before the aspirants started spending their money on consultations and purchase of nomination and expression of interest forms.
Elder Wole Oyelese from Egbeda/Ona Ara local government directed all the aspirants from his local government to come forward and prove to the governor that all is well in the local government area, as all aspirants agreed on a consensus candidate.
Interestingly, it was eventually discovered that the governor had no hand in the imposition of any candidate in some of the local governments, particularly in Ibadan Southwest local government, where rumours were dispelled that certain candidates said to have been picked by them is the position of the governor and that such has received governor’s endorsement.
The position of the governor is to curb excessive spending by aspirants in their bids to convince the delegates, whom he sees as merchants during primary elections by advising aspirants to use such resources for the party in the main election.
The governor, according to the communique is not part of any imposition of candidates in the local governments where such is discovered especially in the Ibadan Southwest local government.
The governor assured all aspirants that equity, fairness and justice would be deployed in decision making and added that benefits in the government are more than enough for everyone to reap from.
He gave appointments to a few aspirants at the meeting and promised some who might not be lucky to be picked where a consensus arrangement is adopted that he would refund the money spent to purchase nomination and expression of interest forms.
Governor Seyi Makinde told Ibadan Southwest people that he would engage the leaders of the party from the local government to see if they’re still a way out, even as aspirants insisted on the conduct of the primary election.
Meanwhile, the screening exercise recorded a huge success, as aspirants from Ibadan Southwest local government thanked the governor of Oyo State and the leadership of the party at the national level for providing a level playing ground for the conduct of such exercise.
The aspirants from Ibadan Southwest, Ibadan North and other local governments also declared readiness for the primary elections, to be conducted on May 7, 2022, as stipulated by the party’s timetable.
