Chief Femi Babalola, Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, says decision of the five governors under the aegis of G-5, will not affect chances of Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, the party’s presidential candidate, in the state.
Babalola told journalists in Ibadan on Monday that Atiku would win convincingly in the state with the efforts he and others have put in place.
The G-5 governors are: Nyesom Wike of Rivers; Seyi Makinde of Oyo; Samuel Ortom of Benue; Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu.
The five governors had vowed not to support Atiku, unless the National Chairman of the party, Senator Iyorcha Ayu, resign from his position.
Babalola said that the decision of the five governors could not hold water in the state.
He said Makinde, who was complaining that President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku are from the North is also guilty of the same complaint.
He said that Makinde who is from Ibadan did not see anything wrong that he succeeded the late Abiola Ajimobi of the same Ibadan origin who spent eight years in office.
“I can assure you that, with the efforts we have put in place so far and the ongoing ones, Makinde’s stance will not affect the fortunes of Atiku in Oyo State, which have been displayed severally.
“People came out enmasse, party members came out and they were chanting Atiku! Atiku !! Atiku !!! And they said that is the person they wanted in the presence of G5 governors.
“Atiku will win, members know their own, no matter what. The freedom walk was excellent in turn out, the stance of the party members in the presence of G-5 was also another sign of victory in Oyo State,” he said.
Babalola said they would not leave any stone unturned, adding that they were working assiduously to compliment the already established acceptability of Atiku in the state.
“It is like Nigeria is lost somewhere in the moon. When you say something is in the trenches, you know where it is. The state at which we are now is that we don’t know where the country is.
“As far as I am concerned, we need Atiku, who has done this before. Of all those contesting, he is the one who has done it before. He has been the Vice President for eight years. He has seen it all.
“That is the kind of person we need now. We don’t need a learner. We don’t need someone that will come in and learn on the job. No. State politics and regional politics are different from the national politics.
“We have other zones in Oyo State; We have people from Ogbomoso, Ibarapa and Oke-Ogun. So, why should it be an Ibadan man, replacing another Ibadan man?
“He didn’t see anything wrong there then. So, what I am saying is that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands.
“If he had kept a principled stand then, me, Femi Babalola, will support him, that yes, this is what this guy stood for in 2019; so, we are ready to support him,” he said.
(NAN)
