- Osun PDP cautions APC chairman over South West takeover comment
The People’s Democratic Party on Monday warned the ruling All Progressives Congress to stay away from Ondo State and that it should not get carried away with its last victory in Edo State, warning that the South West can neither be bought nor captured.
The warning was issued by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, at a media parley at the party secretariat in Abuja.
Ologunagba was reacting to Sunday’s remarks by the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, in Akure, the Ondo state capital, that the ruling party was ready to capture all the six states in the South West geopolitical zone.
Ganduje made the statement at a meeting that also had members of the APC National Working Committee, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa; his counterpart from Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Ekiti Governor Biodun Oyebanji in attendance.
The meeting was held ahead of the November 16, governorship election in Ondo. Aiyedatiwa is the flag bearer of the APC.
The APC currently controls Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos, and Ogun—out of the six states in the South West zone, while the PDP has the administrative control of Oyo and Osun State.
But Ologunagba described Ganduje’s utterances as ‘reckless and irresponsible.’
Reacting on Monday, the PDP spokesman stated that his position was a further testament to an earlier warning they issued that the country is tilting towards totalitarianism and a one-party state.
He said, “This is a warning. The people of the South West have a very rich history, a people who are very strong-willed, politically educated, and know what they want. Every student of history recognises clearly that the South West has always been a bastion for democratic rights.
“So for anybody, Ganduje for that matter, to come into Ondo State and say those reckless things calls for the attention of Nigerians and indeed the international community that he is a threat to democracy. He should be careful about the West because he could be declared as a ‘personal non-grata’ in the South West for this recklessness. The APC should stay away from Ondo State.
“The November 16 election in Ondo State is a different ball game entirely. The people of Ondo State are ready. They are set to vote for the PDP. You can’t cow or suppress them from whatever they believe in. So the APC should watch it, and they should know that we do not take threats and the idea of capture lightly. We’ve never been captured and we are not prisoners.”
PDP accuses Aiyedatiwa of squandering Ondo’s money
Also, the Ondo State chapter of the PDP has called on residents to withhold their support for the APC candidate in the forthcoming governorship election.
The opposition party accused the APC’s candidate and incumbent governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, of squandering a significant amount of public funds on frivolous activities during his 10 months in office.
This allegation was made in a statement issued by the state’s PDP Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Peretei, on Monday.
However, the Ondo State APC has dismissed the PDP’s allegations describing it as baseless and untrue.
According to the statement, the PDP claimed that billions of naira earmarked for state government projects were diverted into private accounts.
The PDP statement read, “The people have scrutinised Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s 10 months as governor, and the verdict is a resounding failure. On July 22, 2024, more than N35 billion was approved for asphalt overlay of roads in four Akoko Local Government Areas, Ose, Owo, Ilaje, Idanre, Ondo, and Akure regions. Three months later, these roads remain in the same condition as before the contracts were awarded.
“It is evident that these substantial sums must have vanished into private pockets, as contractors are not on site, citing non-payment. Can Ondo State be said to be fortunate under such an administration?”
The PDP further alleged that a substantial amount of money was allocated for the renovation of the deputy governor’s lodge in 2022, yet the project remains incomplete.
The deputy governor, Olayide Adelami, has been staying in a hotel since assuming office.
“A sum of N217, 881,308.00 was approved for the renovation of the deputy governor’s lodge, with a completion timeline of 12 weeks from July 22, 2024. It is widely known that since assuming office, the Deputy Governor, Olayide Adelami, has been staying in luxury hotel suites in Akure, along with his staff, all at the taxpayers’ expense.
“The money wasted on hotel accommodation could have easily renovated his official residence. Is there anyone still in doubt that this administration should be voted out come November 16?” the statement added.
In response, the Director of Publicity of the APC in the state, Steve Otaloro, dismissed the PDP’s allegations as baseless and aimed at undermining Governor Aiyedatiwa’s achievements.
In a counterstatement, Otaloro said, “The PDP’s allegations are filled with inaccuracies, speculations, and misinformation. During their 12-year reign in Ondo State, they achieved nothing of note. Their inability to offer a credible alternative to Governor Aiyedatiwa’s accomplishments has led them to resort to false accusations and lies.”
Otaloro went on to highlight Governor Aiyedatiwa’s achievements in education, infrastructure, healthcare, and economic empowerment, stating that the PDP’s continuous attacks would not distract the government from its commitment to the people.
“The PDP’s lack of human resources is evident in their poor organisational skills and strategy. Instead of running an issue-based campaign, they have become a destructive force. We will not be drawn into responding to their baseless accusations.
“What Ondo State needs are smart decisions that benefit the people through effective policies and programmes, not political point-scoring. As a responsible opposition party, the PDP should prioritise truth, fairness, and balance in their analysis of the state’s development. Their false allegations are driven by an insatiable hunger for power. We urge the public to distinguish fact from the PDP’s fabricated tales and propaganda,” Otaloro concluded.
Osun PDP cautions Ganduje over South West takeover comment
In the same vein, the Chairman of the Osun State PDP, Sunday Bisi, has urged the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, to avoid making statements that could incite political unrest in the South West region.
Bisi, in a statement issued on Monday, was responding to Ganduje’s remarks at a political gathering in Ondo State, where he reportedly claimed his party had a strategy to “capture” the entire South West.
The PDP chairman cautioned Ganduje that such utterances, which he claimed could inflame public sentiment, might destabilise the country.
He also stressed that the people of Osun would decide who governs them when the time comes.
Describing Ganduje’s comments as a “reckless attempt to plunge the South West into unnecessary political turmoil,” Bisi warned that Nigeria, already grappling with ethnic tensions and economic challenges, should not be further provoked.
Bisi said, “For a man who couldn’t rescue his home state for the APC, due to his disastrous tenure as governor, to now threaten the South West with fire and brimstone is not only reckless but utterly irrational.
“While Mr President continues to tackle the country’s economic crisis, Mr Ganduje should be cautious not to exacerbate the situation by attempting to rig elections, especially in the Southwest. Doing so would be akin to stepping on the tail of a dangerous cobra.
“If Mallam Ganduje failed, as he did, to incite unrest in Kano, where the APC was rejected due to his harrowing administration, he should be prepared to accept similar outcomes in other states where the APC has failed the electorate.
“In Osun, we are accustomed to such irresponsible remarks, which only led to a more disastrous result for Ganduje’s party in the 2022 governorship election.”
