A former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and a former deputy governor of the state, Senator Iyiola Omisore, have vowed to put an end to the reign of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state at the governorship election holding on September 22.
Oyinlola, who is one of the founding leaders of the African Democratic Congress, said this at the presentation of flags to the governorship candidate of the ADC, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade and his running mate, Justice Olamide Oloyede ( retd.), in Osogbo on Wednesday.
Also, Omisore, who is the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party spoke in Osogbo on Wednesday at the inauguration of various committees that would oversee the governorship campaign of the party.
Oyinlola said Akinbade, who was the Secretary to the State Government during his tenure as the governor of the state, was on a rescue mission.
He expressed confidence that the candidate of the party would accomplish the mission.
Oyinlola said, “Those who are concerned about Osun State came to meet me on how we could rescue the state from the APC government. Before I answered them I made consultations and I realised that Alhaji Fatai Akinbade is the best option for the state in 2018.
“The former party of Fatai Akinbade told me that Fatai Akinbade is the best option but he doesn’t have money to spend on the election which is why they would not present him as their governorship candidate.
“This made him leave the party. That is why I took advantage of convincing him to become our party’s candidate and he is the best candidate. He will win the election with the support of the people. He ran the government with me for seven and a half years and he did so well during his service.”
The governorship candidate of the party, Akinbade, expressed gratitude to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Oyinlola for the confidence reposed in him to be the standard bearer of the new political party in Osun State.
He said he would not disappoint while calling on the people of the state to support the party in the efforts to end the suffering of the people.
Akinbade’s running mate, Oloyede, while still serving in the Osun State Judiciary, wrote a petition against Governor Rauf Aregbesola alleging dereliction of duty and insensibility to the plight of the citizens of the state.
She was subsequently recommended for compulsory retirement by the National Judicial Council because of the petition.
The retired judge said she was overwhelmed by the honour done her by the party, saying she never expected it.
She stated that the people of the state were ready to support Akinbade to rescue them from the suffering imposed on them by the ruling party.
Omisore, who spoke through the chairman of the SDP in Osun State, Dr Bayo Faforiji, said the candidate of the party was the most qualified of the politicians jostling to rule the state.
He said the candidate, whom he described as a passionate leader, would liberate the people of the state from the suffering they were subjected into by the APC government.
Faforiji said the state had been plunged into a huge debt, adding that that was why the government owed the workers, pensioners and other categories of people.
He, however, said that Omisore would bring solutions to the problems of the people while appealing to the people to support him in his effort to do this.
Faforiji said, “We have just inaugurated 21 different campaign committees and we have credible people like Ambassador Yemi Farounbi; former Minister of Police Affairs, Mr Jelili Adesiyan, and Mrs Remi Olowu as chairmen of some of these committees.
“This party is blessed with very good people and we are the only party without crisis. By the grace of God, our candidate will win this coming election and we will stop the suffering of our people.”
