Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
The gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Oyo State, Mr Michael Folorunsho Lana, has declared that he is not stepping down for the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Teslim Folarin.
He made the disclosure while addressing a press conference in his office in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Some leaders of the party had pledged their support for Folarin.
But the former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, who was flanked by House of Assembly candidates and chairmen of the party in the 11 local government areas in Ibadanland, said he is still in the race to win the gubernatorial election in the state, vowing not to step down for Folarin or any other candidate.
Lana said those who took the decision to support Folarin did not consult him, noting that those promoting to have a Muslim as governor are out on Islamization agenda and make Christians second class citizens in the state.
According to him, his persecution because he is a Christian is the highest evil that can be done to the people of the state, adding that in fighting for the poor he has never discriminated against anyone on the basis of religion.
He disclosed that when he was fighting for the poor people who were being oppressed by the rich or the government, nobody said he was a Christian, adding that when he was fighting for Temidire Market Association to safeguard their land and their mosque nobody said he was a Christian.
He stated further that when a government for political reasons was hounding the members of NURTW and he was struggling to get them their freedom, the Muslim candidate was nowhere to be found, noting that when the said candidate was charged with murder and he stood firmly to get him out of jail on the basis that he was an Ibadan brother without taking a kobo, nobody said he was a Christian.
He said: “When the government was unlawfully arresting and shooting the members of NURTW and Temidire Sellers Plank Association and I was all over Ibadan trying to rescue them even though they are mostly Muslims, nobody said I was a Christian. When I was building a mosque at Igboho in remembrance of a dead colleague, nobody said I was a Christian.
“When I stood up to protect the integrity of Ibadanland, nobody said I was a Christian. When I was doing all these for the people, where were the wealthy to prosper us or bring succour to our lives? In 12 years at the Senate, what has their candidate even done for the people of Oyo State or was the agenda simply to Islamise the state not minding our welfare? Even then, how many mosques has he built for the Muslims in the state?”
Lana, who insisted on not stepping down for Folarin or any other candidate, said the people of Oyo State want a competent hand at the helm of affairs and not a religious bigot, adding that he never knew that some leaders in the state will descend to the level where competence would be sacrificed on the alter of riches and religion.
