Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has screened the Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun state, former Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Lasun Yusuff and former Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Mr. Moshood Adeoti ahead of the February 19 primary election in the state.
Addressing journalists after the screening, Oyetola said he had already visited members of the party in 18 local governments out of the 30 local governments, saying the strategic engagements will continue today.
He explained that being a member of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party won’t have any impact on the outcome of the primary election because his achievement as a governor will speak for him.
Oyetola said: “Let me say this, my performance in office as I speak today is enough for me to win the primary in the party and to win the election in all areas of endeavour, in the area of infrastructure, health, Education, security and the economy. That means by every standard, we have done so well.
“So given the fact that within the last three and a half years I’ve been able to justify the confidence reposed in me by the people. I believe winning the election is not a problem. I have always been a member of the party. It is not the matter of being a member of the Caretaker committee. I have been very much involved in the party, right from the time of Alliance for Democracy (AD) till date. I wasn’t a member of the Caretaker when I won the election in 2018 so why should I be discouraged from serving the party? If my performance speaks for me, that is good
and fine.”
On his part, Adeoti said he left the 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.
He stated: “We had prepared between 75-80 percent for the primary before it was scuttled at the eleventh hour. Ekiti state primary was conducted based on direct, but when it came to Osun, they changed it to indirect on the instruction of the emperor who happens to be the leader of the party.
“He insisted that his cousin must be the governor. The person I’m talking about is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he said if his cousin was not returned he would not finance the election.
“The outcome was what you all witnessed. He actually lost the election in the first ballot by 353 votes and they said out of 310,000 units in Osun, and there was a rerun in seven units and it was the rerun that salvaged the party.”
Adeoti emphasised that in 2018, everyone agreed that it was the turn of Osun West senatorial district to produce the governor.
He explained that before 2018, Osun Central had Chief Bisi Akande and Olagunsoye Oyinlola between 1999 to 2010 before was ousted by the courts and Rauf Aregbesola from Osun East was sworn-in 2010, and eventually spent eight years.
Adeoti stressed that the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke from Osun West was in the saddle for 20 months as the first democratically elected governor, saying since then, there had been clamour that it is the turn of Osun West.
He added he won’t leave APC even if Tinubu insisted that his cousin would go for another four years.
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.”
