A former Governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala has reiterated that the only thing that can give the planned Local government election in Oyo State credibility is if all parties are given the opportunity to be part of the poll.
The former Governor speaking in an interview with Aanuoluwapo Omorinde aired on BOTTOM LINE – a political programme on IBR 92.5fm Ibadan today insisted that the All Progressives Congress should be given a chance to participate in the election since the party is not boycotting the poll.
“I am talking from experience. With due respect, you don’t read experience in any textbook, you acquire it. I have gone through it and do, if I talk, I talk like a Stateman which I am. For the election they want to do to have credibility, all parties must be involved to give it credibility. If they boycott it’s a different thing but some people were in Court and they were waiting for the outcome of the case before they can join the process and yet, they went ahead with the plans. If you look at it very well, it was a sort of I don’t care attitude towards the Court or you can even call it contempt of Court because a case was in Court.
The Ogbomoso born Politician said it will amount to illegality for the Chairmen who were waiting for the Court pronouncement to have joined the local government election process before the Supreme Court judgement.
“You can’t disenfranchise anybody from taking part in the election. If OYSIEC goes ahead with the election, it’s a case of disenfranchisement”.
Reacting to the visit of OYSIEC Board to APC Secretariat, Akala asked whether the Leadership of the party told the electoral body that it will not contest the poll.
“What they told them was that a case was in Court. Let us see the outcome of this case before anything” We didn’t say we are boycotting the election but if they want to disenfranchise them, they have all the powers, let them go ahead”.
In apparent reaction to a similar call he has earlier made, the former first citizen of Oyo State noted that “what I said earlier is an advice and the Governor is not bound to take my advice. As a matter of fact, I did not want to release a press statement, I tried to call Governor Makinde to make the advise personal but when I could not reach him because I got to know he was not in town, that was why I sent that message to the press that he should for the sake of credibility, get everybody to participate.What I said was for posterity”.
He however submitted that should the APC be given an opportunity to participate in the local government election, the PDP will not have a field day.
“If they are to conduct election properly, I am not boasting and don’t let me take all the five local governments in Ogbomoso though I know I will claim them. If they are to conduct election in Ogbomoso North local government, will anybody win that local government? Nobody can win it, Nobody, my local government, nobody! I am telling you that there is nobody that can win Ogbomoso North Local government. Let them dare us, let them allow us partake in the election and see. Who is their Candidate there? They have even made a mistake because in my local government, they gave Muslim/Muslim ticket. They have made a mistake. They did that because they knew will only do rubbish. If we are going to do proper election, that person that they chose as their Candidate, to God who made me cannot win Councillorship seat”.
The former Governor who submitted that he is in politics because of his people in Ogbomoso said the zone is still within his grip.
