Some political aspirants who stepped down during the last People’s Democratic Party ( PDP) primaries in Oyo state, to honor governor Seyi Makinde have said the governor is not a man to be trusted when it comes to a reaching a gentleman’s agreement.
It will be recalled that aspirants that jostled for state House of Assembly, Federal House of Representatives, and Senatorial seats during the last party primaries in PDP were prevailed to step down for other aspirants based on the consensus arrangement brokered by governor Seyi Makinde.
According to the aspirants who spoke on condition of anonymity said, they all purchased nomination and expression of interest forms to contest the party primaries but dropped their ambitions because of the loyalty and trust they had in the leadership of governor Seyi Makinde.
They further noted that their decision was also for the peace and interest of the party but were disappointed that they fell to the political trick of governor Seyi Makinde who failed to fulfill his part of the agreement.
They said, “three months after the June 3rd extensive meeting held with governor Seyi Makinde, State party excos and party leaders at Oyo state government House with a resolution that they should all drop their ambitions for consensus candidates, thereafter agreed that the party will refund the money they used to purchase forms while governor Makinde also pledged to consider them all for appointment each if qualified.
One of the aspirants from Ibadan less city said “We all purchased party nomination and expression of interest forms with the aim that we are going for primary elections but the party and governor Makinde stopped us, they preached for consensus
At first, all of us declined because those aspirants, governor Makinde wanted to give the party as candidates are not the choice of the party members and leaders in their Ward and Local government, but to let peace reign and to accept the decision of governor Seyi Makinde who is the leader of the party, we agreed and allowed him to chose all those he wanted as candidates for 2023 elections.
“Governor Makinde in his statement during the meeting mandated it for party state’s secretary, Alhaji Wasiu Adeleke to refund the money we used to purchase the forms while appointment will be given to each one of us as soon as the party primary is over, but it’s three months now, we allow governor’s wish to be done but he has never fulfilled any of his promises.
A female aspirant from the Oke Ogun zone who also spoke to Westerndailynews.com said: ” Before we went for the meeting with the governor at the state House where we agreed for a consensus candidate, some of our leaders, even governor Makinde’s aides have told us not to accept any offer given to us by His Excellency, that we should insist on primaries, they said, governor Makinde is not good at fulfilling promises, they gave few examples of how he promised and failed many of the party faithful including the decamped aggrieved leaders, but we were carried away by his presence during the meeting.
At the meeting, after we agreed with his decision for picking his preferred assistants as candidates, Governor Makinde promise us that, he won’t left us out in the scheme of things, said after our money is refunded he would ensure he include us in his fresh appointment.
According to governor Makinde that night he said “There are a lot we can do in government, we are going to engage you people (we aspirants) in various positions and we will make sure everybody is happy,” he promised us, but he failed.
To me, I have already accepted my fate, even thou, some of the aspirants here said we should go to court but I am not in support of taking the party to a court or governor Makinde that we trusted with our ambition and that disappointed us, life goes on, I have moved on with my business, tired of waiting for Audio money and appointment and not ready to drag anybody to court”.
Also, an assembly aspirant for Ibadan Southeast said he and his fellow aspirants have stopped attending PDP meetings in their local government while others especially federal house of representatives aspirants have decamped from the party because the party administration is not encouraging.
“I am just fed up with political activities since the last issue of primaries, current leaders of PDP in Oyo state are not worthy to be party leaders, many members of the party are just looking forward to seeing how our party is going to win the election come 2023, the issue emanated during the primaries was managed but the real problem was not solved, many people are still aggrieved, especially we aspirants, the party, governor Seyi Makinde found their way to let their wish to prevail on the issue of consensus, but had not fulfilled any of the promises they made to us (aspirants).
“We purchased forms, spent money on leader’s consultations, spent during party meetings, and spent on other manor things all to win the primary, but we dropped our ambition for governor Seyi Makinde’s interest with the hope that we will be recognized and compensated, but no, we are now used and dumped.
None of us purchased forms to withdraw for another aspirant, it was governor Makinde that begged us to withdraw, made a pledge that very night during the meeting that, the money we used to purchase forms will be refunded soon after the meeting ended, and also promised to give us appointment just to pacify us for obeying his order but he never get back to us since the very day, though, some of our party leaders have said, governor Seyi Makinde is not to be trusted when its comes to agreement”. he concluded
The party from national pegged the cost of form for the state House of Assembly: expression of interest, N100, 000; nomination form, N500, 000. House of Representatives: expression of interest, N500, 000; nomination form, N2, 000,000 and Senate: expression of interest, N500, 000; nomination form, N3, 000,000.
From findings, as reported by Westerndailynews.com gathered that in Oyo state, 143 aspirants purchased Oyo state Assembly forms while 47 purchased the federal house of representatives forms and 7 forms were purchased for senatorial districts by aspirants.
