THE Labour Party (LP) in Oyo State on Sunday in Ibadan dumped its governorship candidate, Tawfiq Akinwale, and adopted Governor Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as its candidate for the March 11 governorship election.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that LP chairman, Sadiq Atayese, told a news conference that the state’s Working Committee of the party believed in the emergence of Makinde, a candidate with character, competence and capacity in the interest of the citizens.
He said, however, that the electorate should vote for LP candidates at the state assembly elections.
“Going by the results of the February 25 presidential election and political realities in our state, it is obvious that no individual party can win the coming gubernatorial election single-handedly.
“The main priority should be to ensure that citizens win through the election of a candidate that best serves their collective interests.
“Against this backdrop, the right thing now is for parties and their candidates to form alliances with candidates of like ideology,” he said.
According to Atayese, LP in Oyo State has decided to work with the candidate whose ideology tallies with its own in terms of security of lives and property, infrastructural development, food security, education and human capital development.
“It is of note that the present PDP administration under Governor Makinde has presented its scorecard from the health sector with the provisions of Primary Healthcare Centres in every ward to security and others.
“There is no doubt that his governance ideas in the establishment of Park Management System which other state now emulate has made him to be a leader with uncommon innovation.
“From our evaluation as a party, Makinde has done well and we know that continuous development of a state is a function of stability in governance,” he said.
Atayese stressed that there had been meaningful development in Oyo State in the last four years; hence, it was only logical that the good work should continue.
“We have the responsibility to maintain the nobility of our heritage and we the citizens have to stand by it.
“We took a thorough assessment of the various governorship candidates for the March 11 election in terms of character, competence, capacity and compassion for the people.
“Governor Makinde excelled the others; therefore, LP in Oyo state has decided to use its structure throughout the 33 local government areas to support his re-election for another four years of giant development,” Atayese stressed.
I remain LP gov candidate – Akinwale
The Labour Party candidate in the election, Tawfiq Akinwale, however insisted that he remains the candidate of party.
“I remain the candidate of the Labour Party for March 11, 2023 (elections) and my party has never changed that status quo. I do not know anything about the purported adoption. Is he an orphan? By the grace of Almighty God, I am a winner already!” Punch newspaper quoted Akinwale to have replied to an inquiry text message.
Also, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Akin Akinwale, in a reaction on Twitter said it was the “hungry faction” of the LP that endorsed Makinde.
“After all my uncle did for your party in Oyo State. Anyways, it is the hungry faction of Oyo LP that endorsed Seyi Makinde,” he tweeted.
