A gubernatorial aspirant under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, In Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde has revealed how he had to prostrate, with his chest on the ground, to beg former governor Rashidi Ladoja against leaving the PDP.
Makinde, who spoke at his Omi Titun campaign office, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, expressed disappointment over the action of the former leader.
Ladoja, had due to irreconcilable differences, left the PDP for newly formed African Democratic Congress, ADC.
Saying that no son can drive his father away from his abode, Makinde said the party is still waxing stronger.
Makinde said that over 80 per cent of the party structures are still with the party, explaining that others who left with Ladoja are on their way back.
According to him, “We have a minor disagreement leading to the state congress of our party. The national leadership of the party came to Ibadan in a chartered flight to talk to Baba. After From politics, he is my father. I can never disrespect him because he is even an Ibadan High Chief. Anyway, we will continue to do our best to reach out to him perhaps there might be an opportunity for him to rethink his decision.
”I visited him and postrated with my chest to the ground to beg him to stay but he did not”
Asked if the defection of the former governor has made the PDP an empty shell in the state, he remarked that the ”Peoples Democratic Party has not become an empty party because Senator Ladoja left, 80 per cent of the local government chairmen are still with the party, while close to 90 per cent of the state excos remain in PDP, a tree does not make a forest,” he said.
“Baba told me he is not contesting but he wants all the state executive positions, that I couldn’t explain, he will be the only one to explain that”.
On the allegation been levelled against him in some quarters that he throws money around to have his way, Makinde said his disposition to philanthropy is based on his desire to give back to the society, explaining that people who say I throw money around just to have my way are like trying to give a dog a bad name in other to hang it.
Saying that he has what takes to govern the state, he answered that “We play politics diiferently, we have our various ways of tackling issues, but I can assure you that I have the physical and mental toughness of contesting an election, winning it and running the state efficiently, I have done it in the business world, and I can do it in the public sector”
Makinde noted that when he becomes governor of the state, his administration will seek to pursue improvement in the following cardinal areas like Agriculture, Health, Education, security and infrastructural development, to move the state to the next level.
He remarked that education has suffered gross neglect in the state and he will be working to bring back the glory days to the sector.
