The Accord Party gubernatorial candidate in Oyo state, Oloye Adebayo Adelabu, popularly called ‘Penkelemes’, on Wednesday flagged off his governorship campaign.
Thousands of residents of Oyo state, including traders, market men and women, trade groups, artisans, community leaders and traditional leaders, among others, thronged out to show their solidarity, commitment and support for the governorship ambition of the former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The carnival-like event, which held at the Town Hall (Soun Ogunlola Hall), Oja’agbo, Ogbomoso, was attended by the national and state leadership of the party and all candidates aspiring to elective positions in the February 25th National Assembly and March 11th State Assembly elections.
Addressing the crowd, Adelabu said the forthcoming elections would afford the people of the state an opportunity to right all the wrongs, alleging misrule and maladministration under the current government of Governor Seyi Makinde of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
He accused the Makinde administration of running out of ideas that could transform the state, saying the government had resolved to copying some of the ideas he (Adelabu) had been sharing on how he planned to transform the state.
Adelabu noted that the state of education had taken a turn for the worse under Makinde’s watch, saying that all semblance of improvement and achievements made by previous administrations in the state had been rubbished by the present PDP government in the state.
He appealed to the people to show their commitment to a new Oyo state by voting for candidates of the Accord Party in the forthcoming elections.
According to the gubernatorial aspirant, he opted for a woman as his running mate because the party believed in the capacity and capabilities of women, while assuring that his deputy would not just be a “spare tyre,” as many would call it.
Speaking earlier, the national chairman of the Accord Party, Alhaji Mohammad Nalado, commended the people for coming out en masse to show their love and support to the party candidates, particularly Adelabu.
Corroborating Adelabu’s choice of a female running mate, Nalado said,
“Our party believes in equity, fairness and oneness, hence we have a female as our national secretary. We are even allowing the first female deputy governorship candidate for Oyo state.”
He urged the people to, through their votes, support Adelabu and his running mate, Prof. (Mrs) Abiodun Ayandele as well as all other candidates for the National and State Assembly elections to bring about transformation in the state.
In their separate remarks, the three senatorial candidates of the party: Kolapo Kola-Daisi (Oyo South), Shina Peller (Oyo North) and Nurudeen Faozey (Oyo Central) pledged to work together to support the state and design youth-oriented and women-friendly programmes and plans for the state.
Edited by Amaka E. Nliam
