Oni Joins SDP, Urges Voters to Shun Vote Buying

Victor Ogunje

After keeping supporters in suspense for weeks about his political direction, former governor of Ekiti state, Chief Segun Oni , yesterday officially announced his defection to the Social Democratic Party ( SDP) to contest the June 18 governorship election in the state.

Oni, who was governor between 2007 and 2010 in the state lost the January 26 People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary to former chairman of the party, Bisi Kolawole. He had cited cases of alleged irregularities, which made him to dump the party three weeks ago.

Speaking in Ado Ekiti capital on a radio station programme,Oni revealed that the necessary paper work by the national leadership of the SDP for him to be the party’s candidate and his running mate would soon be concluded with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Ifaki-born politician disclosed that no fewer than four aggrieved governorship aspirants in the All Progressives Congress (APC) , members of a factional group in Ekiti APC, the South West Agenda for Asiwaju 2023 (SWAGA), members of the repositioning group in the PDP and others are forming what he described as a grand collation to win the election.

“I have chosen to advance my ambition in the SDP because we are looking at the future not the present. The party has been around for years and won elections in this country, it is a well-known party, that is the reason I chose SDP to contest the June 18, 2022 governorship election in Ekiti state. We have seen the potential in SDP because we believe it is easier to sell as a third force for Nigerians. The process to make me candidate is ongoing and will soon be completed, “ he said.

When asked on how the SDP will win without a known structures less than four months to the election, the former governor maintained that the will and aspirations of the people is the most important structure needed to defeat the APC and PDP in the state.

He expressed optimism that his achievements when he was governor coupled with the alleged impunity and injustice in the two dominant parties would sway the votes in his favour

According to him, “ I want to say without any forms of contradictions, that we politicians are coming together for this project couple with the opinions of people in the streets. We are looking at a familiar terrain and a party with a potential and also we are getting supports from people that are well known in Ekiti’s political terrain.

“Let me say that for those who are in APC , four aggrieved aspirants are working with us. In PDP, the people called repositioning group , majority of them are working with us. Also, we are working with SWAGA members, SWAGA is a strong force in APC with strong membership base.

“ It is going to be a grand collation that will definitely benefit the people of Ekiti. I believe the goodwill of repositioning group , SWAGA and Segun Oni is almost enough to win election in Ekiti.

“ We must come to reality of how a party is properly managed, if it is not properly managed, it won’t attract good people, that is the fact. I believe whatever is right is right . I have been around for some time, my antecedents are there for us to see. I am not looking for what to eat but service to the people, that is how I see politics.

“ It is the people that will challenge the parties, the people are superior than the APC, PDP. It is what Ekiti people want not the political parties, we are listening to what the people are saying in the streets.I worked for the people with everything I had between 2007 and 2010 when I was governor and the citizens can testify to my achievements.”

Oni, who advised the people of the state to reject vote buying and other forms of inducement ahead of the poll, stated that everything possible would be done to discourage voters from trading their future on the altar of peanuts.

However, the SWAGA Coordinator in Ekiti, Hon. Bamigboye Adegoroye, described the statement credited to Oni that SWAGA had collapsed its structures for him as untrue.

“That is not true. Members of SWAGA cannot form a coalition with Segun Oni to win any election. The Chairman of SWAGA in Ekiti State is Senator Tony Adeniyi, I am the coordinator of SWAGA in Ekiti State, So, nobody else could have moved SWAGA in Ekiti to anywhere.

“Nobody has that capacity. Segun Oni was in the PDP, Segun Oni has no capacity to talk about SWAGA at all. He can’t talk about SWAGA at all, he left PDP. You can see the act of desperation. Last week, he (Segun Oni) was talking about APGA, this week, he is talking about SDP, maybe he will be talking about Labour Party next week. That is the act of desperation of Segun Oni that we are talking about which people have to guard against. He should not be taken seriously. He sounds a little confused and so you don’t take him seriously”.