By Femi Ogbonnika
A pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Yoruba Patriots Movement (YPM), has adopted Otunba Rotimi Paseda, the Ogun State candidate of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in the 2015 general elections for the coming 2019 gubernatorial race in the state.
The YPM, led by its Chairman, Oladosu Oladipo, during a recent courtesy visit to the Ijebu-Omu home of Otunba Paseda, in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State announced his adoption as their candidate.
 The YPM chairman, described Paseda is an offspring of the Awolowo dynasty.
He said the 2015 Ogun state UPN governorship candidate had imbibed all the spirit, intellect and infrastructure of the late sage.
“Paseda has resuscitated the defunct UPN with his political ambition in Ogun State. He was the flagbearer of the party in Ogun State in 2015 and he is still going to be the governorship candidate of the party in the state in 2019. “If I am to go back to the memory lane, it was this same political party I rode to victory when I contested for the legislative assembly seat in the old Oyo State.
“There are delectable processes, either thesis or anti-thesis. The good in APC will come to the UPN, while the good in PDP will also come to the UPN. Everybody should give their support to the UPN. They are doing that because we can have somebody like Paseda with programmes and roadmap to lead for things to turn around for good.
“I am from Osun State and what we are doing is a rescue movement. It is what we have been doing. I have no doubt that Paseda has the ability, character, foresight and he is active politically. He has a potent platform to make Ogun State great. Everybody will integrate with you in Ogun State. Thank you for resuscitating the legacies, policies and ideas of the Awolowo-led UPN in Yorubaland. You are very humble and pleasant as a very good choice for the number one seat of Ogun Stateâ€, said Oladipo.
Besides, the YPM leader, noted restructuring could only come to reality unless the country returned to the 1963 constitution which allowed all the regions to develop, according to their own pace.
“Awolowo started with education, with free primary education throughout the old western region. He was very proactive because his programmes were all-inclusive. He was doing these alongside the establishment of farm settlement, industrial layout and with these laudable projects, Western Region was ahead of other regions. Development doesn’t come overnight but it is a gradual processâ€, said the YPM Chairman.
He admonished Paseda not to be discouraged over his ambition and asked him to hold humility as the only key to get up.
In his response, Paseda stated that it was a great opportunity to have the leadership of the YPM on a courtesy visit to his Ijebu-Omu home.
“I am a staunch member of the YPM. I have no doubt that the movement will bring all sons and daughters of Yoruba together for a singular purpose of uniting us. My foray into partisan-politics was by chance. UPN was a chosen party for me. I don’t have manifesto but I have adopted Awolowo’s manifesto. All the policies and programmes therein are what we want to implement. No addition, no minus. The party is for the common interest of the Yoruba sons and daughters. I want to urge us to let us go back to the old regional government for our development and growth.
“I will give my maximum support for anything that comes through the YPM which can metamorphose to a political party if we can have a party that is neutral and acceptable to the well-being of the Yoruba nationâ€, said the 2015 Ogun State UPN governorship candidate.
On the entourage of the group include its national secretary, Professor Soji Adejumo, Otunba Femi Arowosola and the National Chairman of the UPN, Professor Bankole Okuwa.
