The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State has warned All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state against campaign of calumny capable of heating up the polity.
The umbrella party in the pacesetter state was replying to what it termed “unprovoked derogatory” comments by the duo of Bayo Adelabu and Senator Teslim Folarin at their respective governorship declaration events held in Ibadan last Monday and Tuesday that 2023 election defeat OF Governor Seyi Makinde would be worse than 2019.
Oyo State PDP described Adelabu and Folarin’s comments against Governor Seyi Makinde as mere outbursts of desperate power-thirsty politicians aimed at motivating their demoralised loyalists who are still bewildered by the unexpected and unprecedented success recorded within less than three years in office.
A statement by the state Publicity Secretary of PDP in the state, Akeem Olatunji advised Adelabu to be wary of praise singers and bootlickers surrounding him and also deceiving him. The party stressed that ‘Penkele’ as he is popularly known is only surrounded by political rookies.
It cautioned Adelabu and Folarin against reckless and unguarded utterances against the governor in the name of politicking, even as the political build up ahead of 2023 continues to heighten.
According to the PDP in Oyo State, Adelabu and Folarin have clearly shown the depth of their political ignorance and naivety with what it called show of shame by failing to take advantage of their declaration to market themselves to the people but rather resorted to personality and individual attack against the person of Governor Makinde whose success in office as governor has since become a benchmark for good governance in the entire country.
The ruling party in its press statement said the All Progressives Congress in the state is reputable for sheer false propaganda and cannot be taken seriously by any serious-minded Nigerian regardless of how loud the party tries to engage in personality attacks instead of political campaigns.
The party also wondered how Seyi Makinde who is too busy fulfilling his mandate as the governor has suddenly become the nightmare of both Adelabu and Folarin who should focus on first getting the APC ticket to contest in the general election, noting that only political ignoramus with untamed desperation for power channels energy, time and resources to jump guns instead of first crossing the first all-important political hurdle.
The PDP’s statement read, “It is sad and very pathetic that Nigeria’s political space in the state is experiencing such shameful dance of macabre by those who should continue to beg for forgiveness from the good people of Oyo state upon which undeserved terror and unspeakable hardship were unleashed for eight uninterrupted years.
“It is ridiculously fascinating if not funny to state that such abnormality in our political setting can only be sustained in an environment like ours where desperate and power thirsty politicians take full advantage of political orphans gasping for air for survival so much that they don’t care even if Satan comes out of hell to declare for governorship seat on the platform of the APC.
“It is even more amusing that political ignoramuses like Adelabu and Folarin have continued to pick the wrong political fight at the wrong time because any informed and sound politician must know that before you even stand a chance to contest an election, you must first have your party’s mandate in your hand. It is therefore, rather hilarious to note that rather than selling themselves to their party to secure their party ticket they’re busy attacking Seyi Makinde whose success in less than three years has since been the benchmark for good governance in the whole of Nigeria.”
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According to PDP, “For the sake of political education, Adelabu and Folarin should first secure their party’s mandate or how do we explain a situation where aspirants go to their respective governorship declaration venues to attack a performing governor with sheer falsehood instead of telling the world and their party stakeholders what they have, if any, to offer, different from the unrivaled failure APC recorded for eight requiring total forgiveness from the good people of the state.
“Adelabu kept screaming prompt payment of salaries is not an achievement but as a member of the last administration, failed to explain to the world why not only civil servants but also pensioners and retirees were made to suffer deliberate refusal to pay same salaries for over a year thereby mocking the state workforce and turning them to beggars in their own state while others died while pursuing what rightly belonged to them.
“Penkele said Makinde’s government has achieved nothing in education. It is obvious he still lives in self-denial of obvious reality and delusion because the combined force of the late Ajimobi as governor and Tinubu as the pro-chancellor of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology of Technology (LAUTECH) for eight whole years could not achieve what Governor Makinde has achieved with the acquisition of sole ownership, adequate funding, improved course accreditation and others still counting all under three years.”
