There was fireworks in the Studios of Impact Business Radio (IBR 92.5fm Ibadan) at the Weekend over the formal decampment of some top Politicians from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) last week.
It will be recalled that Governor Seyi Makinde had last week Thursday received notable figures from the opposition parties into the PDP in an elaborate event at the famous Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan.
This was few days after the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Oyo State expelled Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, Chief Micheal Koleosho, Doctor Wasiu Olatunbosun from the party over anti-party activities.
Reacting on the rationale behind the move on Bottom Line hosted by Aanuoluwapo Omorinde, the Oyo State Publicity Secretary of the Party, Barrister Bimpe Adelowo alleged that those expelled from the ADC were only using the party as a negotiating tool for selfish reasons hence, the decision of the party to kick them out.
According to him “these are political liabilities who were hell-bent in destroying the ADC in Oyo State. If truly they have electoral value, how come they lose their elections in 2019?. The ADC sent them into the government of Governor Seyi Makinde but they refused to report back to the party. What do you call that. Is it not anti-party activity?”.
When reminded that these Politicians left with their followers in ADC and the claim that the governor received thousands of people into the PDP at the Thursday political rally, Adelowo asked “what is the total capacity of the main bowl of Adamasingba Stadium not to talk of the tennis court that was used? Let me tell you this! Because of these people especially Senator Sunmonu many people left the ADC saying they cannot work with character and I can tell you that between Thursday and now, many people have left the PDP because of her. Just wait and see.
Adelowo claimed peace has returned to the ADC in Oyo State and that the party is strategizing ahead 2023.
On whether the ADC still exist in Oyo State, the party’s Mouthpiece answered in the affirmative stressing that it is fielding Candidates across board in the 2023 elections.
Reacting, the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun faulted the claim of the ADC Spokesperson.
His words “we were the real ADC and we have left. Who is left there? Remnants.”
He kicked against the statement that those that decamped to the PDP are political liabilities.
According to him “a former Speaker, I mean first female Speaker and Senator a liability? You mean someone who won Councillorship seat as an opposition is a liability? A former Chairman of a local government. A former State Secretary of a party and then a Commissioner is a liability?
He (Adelowo) has never contested an election in his life so, he can’t know how it feels.
“We lost our elections in 2019 because the then government went all out to ensure we fail. I hope you remember how the ballot papers for Senator Sunmonu’s election was taken to Kano”.
He affirmed that Governor Seyi Makinde fulfilled his promise to the ADC.
Narrating how he emerged as a Commissioner he said “the governor requested for names and we voted across the 33 local government areas of the State. Eventually I won and that was how the governor picked me. So, it is a lie that the Governor doesn’t keep to his promises. There are five blocs that formed the ADC then. We have the Unity Forum (a splinter group from the APC), the Labour Party, Baba Ladoja’s bloc, the CNM and the old ADC. So, I was picked from the Unity Forum block, the Labour party block led by Baba Koleosho produced the then Commissioner for Agriculture. So, the governor fulffilled majority of the promises made to us”.
Speaking on the chances of governor Seyi Makinde in 2023, Olatunbosun said that there are eight indices that determine where the pendulum will swing in any given election. All he said favours the governor. He listed two of them to be the “product” and then, “workers and pensioners”. As regards the former, he described the governor as marketable product any day. Recalling what it was like marketing late governor Abiola Ajimobi for a second term in 2015 among the workers and pensioners who according to him were then not happy because of their entitlements that was denied them, he noted that the goodwill of the incumbent governor because of his prompt payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities is unprecedented hence, it promises to be a smooth sail for Seyi Makinde come 2023.
