• I’m the candidate to beat – Oyetola
‘Seun Ibukun-Oni, Abuja
Daily Courier – The All Progressives Congress (APC), governorship screening committee for Osun State, headed by former Edo State gubernatorial candidate, Bar. Ese Iyamu on Thursday screened three governorship aspirants ahead of the February 19 primary election.
The three aspirants screened at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja yesterday Include: the incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola, former Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Yusuff Lasun, and former Secretary to the State Government, Fatai Adeoti.
Speaking to journalists after the screening, Oyetola said his infrastructural revolution and welfare programs in the past three years in office will make him the candidate to beat come July 16.
He said, “Let me say this, my performance in office (in all areas of endeavour, in the area of infrastructure, health, education, security, and the economy) as I speak today is enough for me to win the primary in the party and to win the election.
“That means by every standard, we have done so well. So given the fact that within the last three and a half years I have been able to justify the confidence reposed in me by the people.”
Oyetola dismissed the impact of the conflicts bedeviling the party in Osun. “I have been very much involved in the party, right from the time of AD till date. I’m not a novice when it comes to the issue of party, my performance will speak for me, good and fine,” he said.
Another aspirant at the APC national secretariat for the screening was the former secretary to the Government of the state of Osun, Alhaji Fatai Adeoti, he was confident of ousting the incumbent in a free and fair primary election. He disclosed that the emperor, who is the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu foist his cousin Gboyega Oyetola on the state.
Adeoti explained that he left the All Progressive Congress Party (APC) in 2018 to vie for the governorship position on the platform of Action Democratic Party (ADP) because the primary election of APC was scuttled at the eleventh hour.
Adeoti said, “Let me add that we have just submitted our petition to the caretaker committee on two grounds: first, the date of the gubernatorial primary has been changed from 5th of March to 19th of February without any reason. In Ekiti state, it was extended from 17th of January to 27th but in our case they are bringing it back by two weeks preceding the national convention.
“Secondly, up till today governor Gboyega Oyetola is still a member of the CECPC led by Governor Mai Mala Buni. I don’t see how the primary will be free and fair if Oyetola is a judge in his own case.”
The third governorship aspirant, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lasun Yusuff, did not address journalists he hurried out of the national secretariat immediately after the screening.
This may not be unconnected with Adeoti’s claim that they had both submitted petitions in protest to the shift in the date of the gubernatorial primary election and Oyetola’s continued stay as a member of the CECPC.
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