Failure To Campaign Confirms Your Grand Plan For Vote Buying At The Polls–Oyo PDP Drags Opposition

The Oyo state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has lampooned two main opposition parties in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Accord over what was alleged to be their failure to campaign and tell the world what their plans are.

The ruling PDP also asserted that even though there have been rife speculations around town on what the opposition parties and their candidates are gearing up to do at the polls, which is vote buying, such deliberate refusal to campaign only confirms such speculations to be true.

The Oyo state PDP in a press statement on Sunday January 22 which was made available to the newsmen by its State Publicity Secretary, Akeem Olatunji, urged the people of Oyo state to become more vigilant and be watchful with eagle eyes especially on the presidential and governorship election days.

Earlier last week, the Campaign Council of Governor Seyi Makinde, who is seeking a reelection for a second term of office had accused opposition parties and their candidates of not campaigning and telling the people what they would do for the state if elected. Makinde’s campaign council urged guber candidates of both APC and Accord to begin campaign to avail the people an opportunity of varieties saying time for political rallies was already fast spent.

Consequently, the ruling PDP maintained that it was becoming uninteresting for opposition candidates and their parties to have given up so soon even before the actual election days stressing that the people deserve a robust political engagements by political players in the race to enable them make sound and informed decision before they cast their votes.

Olatunji urged political players to see the campaign season as the people’s special period to make choice of who they want to govern them saying there could be no greater disrespect for the masses by the opposition than deliberately denying them that opportunity and stacking up illicit funds ahead of the polls to exploit the people through aggressive vote buying agenda.

The ruling PDP spokesman said even though Makinde’s unprecedented sector by sector achievements in less than four years have been touted to be significant enough to pass for a no contest election year in favor of Makinde, the Governor and his campaign team have continued to undergo the rigors of taking the message of accelerated and sustainable developments to every nooks and crannies of the state.

The party maintained that nobody requires a diviner or soothsayer to tell that the God’s sent man, Governor Makinde, from the campaign so far from Ibarapa, to Ogbomosho, to Oyo zones down to Ibadan less city including Lagelu, Akinyele, and Egbeda, the clamour has remained the same which is ‘Seyi leekan si’.

“We are appalled by the way an manner opposition parties and their candidates have technically conceded defeat to Governor Seyi Makinde even before the actual election day. This singular act by opposition in the state has reduced the vibrancy and fun political engagements usually characterized by this season.

“It is so disdainful that it can simply pass as an affront on the sensibility of the electorates who are the real owners of the mandate they seem. This is clearly unlike the usual political season Oyo state is known for where the masses are practically carried along through campaigns and rallies.

“Even though it is no longer news in town that opposition parties are preparing for just one thing on election days which is to engage in aggressive vote buying with the singular aim of purchasing their way at the polls, we wish to remind the electorates that there is no amount of money these greedy, cruel, wicked and selfish politicians can induce voters with that could last more than a single day out of four whole years.

“You must be deliberate about standing your ground as you did in 2019 in the face of temptations and inducement by these evil politicians to choose sustained and continuation of good governance under Governor Seyi Makinde so that together we can secure our destiny and the future of our children.

“The people must be reminded that APC at any level is a calamity that we have been made to suffer for, it has become a price we are paying for negligence to effectively participate in our electoral evolution towards a better and brighter future. We must remain resolute to reject their treacherous and deceitful advances.

“Like the popular saying, if the devil gave you something, be prepared to payback in even a greater and more painful way, which in real life was our collective fate for 8 interrupted years from 2011–2019. There’s no need reminding you of the pain, agony, and anguish inflicted upon our fathers and mothers in active service as well as those retired from active service.

“Remember the avoidable deaths brought upon our grandpas and grandmas who are pensioners under the APC government in this state, remember the over two years strike of LAUTECH despite their Lagos godfather being the pro-chancellor of the institution while both Oyo and Osun under the then APC administration failed to find solution to the problem of the school until Makinde’s emergence.

“Even though we’re fully aware of the fact that March 25 Governorship election is for Makinde to grab following the sterling performance of the Governor and the reward system for good governance by the good people of Oyo state, we expect opposition candidates to at least make this campaign an interesting and engaging one so that their folly can be hurriedly exposed.

“Either they heed to the call of the masses to bring their agenda forward or they continue to mistake the good people of Oyo state in 2023 to the people of 2011, one thing that is certainly inevitable is that their final political burial at the coming polls will be total and final and then, the world will clearly see that God is still actively involved in the affairs of Oyo state and Nigeria as a nation.” Oyo PDP said.