Oyo Accord leadership dumps candidate, endorses Makinde for re-election

Ahead of the March 11 Governorship election, Accord party leadership in Oyo State has dumped its candidate, Adebayo Adelabu, for the incumbent Gov. Seyi Makinde.

Mr Kolade Ojo, the State Chairman of the party, made this known at a news conference on Wednesday in Ibadan.

It was reported that this was barely few hours after three House of Representatives candidates of Accord had joined the camp of Sen. Teslim Folarin, Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The defectors from Oke-Ogun, Ibarapa and Oyo zones, along with their supporters, had earlier on Wednesday in Ibadan, announced their coming back to APC.

They are: Wakeel Oyedemi (Afijio/Atiba/Oyo East/Oyo West); Bashiru Lawal (Atisbo, Saki East and Saki West) and David Okanlawon (Ibarapa Central/Ibarapa North).

Ojo, however, said that the entire executive members of Accord in the state have agreed to form a working alliance with the incumbent governor.

According to him, Adelabu has neither recognition, nor due respect whatsoever for the party hierarchy and this he will sustain should he be elected as the Governor of Oyo state.

“The state working committee, local and ward executives have lost confidence in Chief Adebayo Adelabu as a worthy candidate to be supported for the exalted position of state governor.

“Going forward, the entire ACCORD Oyo State executives have agreed to form a working alliance with the incumbent Gov. Seyi Makinde,” he said.

The party chairman said that entire party structure expressed displeasure, disappointment and disenchantment for not being carried along as partners in progress and pillars of electoral victory for his candidature.

Ojo said that the coalition was born out of passion for uninterrupted good governance and their conviction that Makinde had performed creditably in delivering dividends of democracy to the people.

He said that the coalition would bolster accelerated growth and all round development.

Ojo accused Adelabu of deliberate sidelining the wards and local government party executives in the scheme of things, saying there was no harmonious working relationships with him.

He said that Adelabu preferred to work “in cahoot with his few supporters from a former party, thereby institutionalising use and dump syndrome within the party”.

“We are not unaware of antics of political jobbers and purveyors of fake news who may want to hoodwink the public that the altruistic merger has pecuniary gains.

“Please disregard such baseless assumption and unfounded insinuation should it arise,” he said.

Ojo said that they were satisfied with Makinde’s achievements in different sectors such as Education, Health, Civil Service reform and prompt payment of entitlements.

Commenting, Mr Olayinka Dairo, the party’s Secretary, however, said that the 32 Accord candidates for the State House of Assembly are still in the race to win, calling on supporters to vote them en-masse.

“The 32 Accord candidates for the House of Assembly are still in the race to win.

“We call on supporters and party faithfuls to give them the necessary support for their resounding victory at the coming polls,” Dairo said.

He appealed to the media, as dependable companions, that the party structure was not collapsed.

Dairo said: “We appeal to the media as our dependable companions to include it in their various reports that the party structure is not collapsed.

“It will be used to support the PDP government led by Gov. Seyi Makinde,” he said.