By Dupson Collins, 12th June, 2024
A Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Barr Olumuyiwa Adu has faulted the alteration of the long existing zoning arrangement in the state, saying the choice of the current Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami as Governor Aiyedatiwa running mate needs to be addressed before June 18 timeline of INEC.
Speaking with Newsmen at his private residence in Akure on the June 12 Democracy Day observed across the country, Barr Adu urged the leadership of the country to work toward reviewing the faulty constitution to accommodate the views, opinions and agreement of all the ethnic groups in Nigeria.
” I won’t be wrong if I say that Nigeria Democracy is suffering from faulty constitution we are using today as a country. The constitution does not provide for things that could make equity and justice to prevail in Nigeria”.
Reacting to the choice of the Dr Olayide Adelami as the running mate to Governor Aiyedatiwa, Adu said he was baffled that the leadership of the party could alter the zoning arrangement in the state that gives room for equity and fair play.
He added that, he jettisoned his plan of contesting for the Governorship seat under All Progressive Congress because of zoning to the Southern Senatorial District but was surprised at the turn out of event in regards to the running mate of the governor.
“I wonder at this stage that the zoning arrangement can easily be altered. We are still watching, believing the Party and National Leadership will do the needful before the June 18 deadline on replacement of candidate and its Deputy”.
Barr Adu added that, going by the surrogate views of many party members of the Deputy Governor, he shares the same view with them as his choice has not been finalized by the party.
“A progressive minded people of Ondo State will agree with me that, it is not at this time that already existing zoning arrangement would be altered. When the agitations for the Central to take position of the deputy governor was raised after the demise of the Late Governor, it was given to Owo man and nobody talked. My position is that, the Central should not be deprived of what is rightly belong to them by the zoning arrangement”.
He believed the nomination of the deputy governor as running mate is not the final decision of the party, saying the leadership of the party still have some days to address the injustice and make the necessary changes that will coast the party to victory in the November 16 Governorship Poll.
According to him, ” For any party that deprive Akure speaking communities of what they are suppose to have, the people of these communities will definitely decide where to go on election day”.
Meanwhile, Barr Adu said the choice of a serving member of the House of Representatives, Hon Festus Akingbaso by the People’s Democratic Party as the running mate to Agboola Ajayi poses no threat to the victory of APC in the state, saying the day he left the opposition party, was the day PDP is less heard in the state.
” I am not boasting, the day I left PDP with my supporters, that was the day PDP is less heard in Ondo State. Everybody knows that the party wants to pick from Akure but where is the Akure man to pick from? All Akure best brains in the party have defected to the ruling party, APC”.
He urged the National leadership of the party to be proactive in fielding popular candidate that can easily coast the Party to victory, noting that if the right person is pick as deputy governorship candidate, the level of celebration among the people of the state will be massive as if election has already been won.
” The leadership of APC are competent and they have not come out to say the submitted name of the deputy governor is the final and I am very sure that, that can’t be final decision of the party. The party needs time to field the best candidate far from the current arrangement of the deputy governor”.
” The National Body of our party is aware of the zoning arrangement in the state and I believe they won’t do otherwise by altering the long existing arrangement that give all the three Senatorial Districts sense of belonging”.
He noted that Akure is politically strong with leaders that show direction on where to go, saying carrying of stick and cutlasses is not the best way to show grievances in this modern age, adding that they won’t allow what happened in the town several years back where some proud sons of the town were murdered under the guise of politics to happen again.
” I am using this medium to appeal to my followers across the 18 local governments of the state to be calmed and wait for the final decision of the National Executive Committee of the party, as we are preparing to win the forthcoming governorship election for our party. The leaders should always remember that a particular group could not be suppressed for too long”, He stated.
