*says it was least expected from a sitting governor
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State (APC) on Saturday, berated Governor Seyi Makinde over his comments against his erstwhile deputy, Engr. Rauf Olaniyan.
APC in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Wale Sadare described the purported comments by Gov Makinde ” as not only unfortunate and shameful, but also least expected from a sitting Executive Governor of a state”.
According to APC, Governor Makinde deserves condemnation for “an act of executive recklessness”, adding, it is ridiculous for Gov. Makinde to claim he was inflicted with COVID-19 through magic?
” It is most uncharitable for a governor to have sponsored the removal of somebody who shared a joint ticket with him midway to their tenure of office over hear-says and unsubstantiated allegations of disloyalty and corruption”, it said
APC added, ” how can a governor say that he went for his deputy’s head and got him impeached because he had been told that the latter consulted some marabouts over his political future? Is it not ridiculous for Gov. Makinde to claim he was inflicted with COVID-19 through magic?
“It is now crystal clear that the story about Gov. Makinde contracting COVID-19 in 2020 was scripted and acted for the purpose of getting an alibi to hang his then deputy even though we raised some questions, at that time, to invalidate the claims made by him (Makinde) because we knew certain things did not add up”
Oyo APC stressed, “However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) may have to visit Gov. Makinde and learn new things about how Covid-19 could be contracted since he has revealed that he personally got it through magic”.
“Furthermore, the whole world is interested in knowing more about how Engr. Olaniyan who was not allowed to have anything doing with the state treasury could have been involved in any case of corruption or financial malpractice to validate the allegation of connivance with an unnamed contractor who handled the ill-conceived renovation of his official Quarters.’
Sympathizing with Engr. Olaniyan who according to Oyo APC has been made a victim by the same man who effortlessly ditched virtually all the people that helped him to win the 2019 gubernatorial poll, the party saluted the erstwhile deputy governor “for the rare display of courage, patience and maturity throughout the period of 38 months which his travails lasted”.
” As a matter of matter, Oyo State could have been made to experience another round of political unrest and tension if the well – cultured former deputy governor had wanted to fight back or used his own connection too to resist the injustice meted out to him but he chose to remain calm during and after the whole drama.
New Nigerian recalled that Gov Seyi Makinde on Saturday on a radio programme “State Affairs ” on Splash FM anchored by Edmund Obilo, while responding to questions on the crisis rocking PDPat all levels, governance in Oyo state, his chances in 2023 among other things.
Gov Makinde alleged Engr Olaniyan of focusing more on his 2023 gubernatorial ambition than administration while serving as his deputy governor, saying, ” I think it was just ‘inordinately ambitious’ some people came to me not up to six months after we got into office and said the former deputy governor got some prayer warriors to keep praying for him because they told him that he would be the one to contest the governorship election in 2023″
” We came in on May 29, 2019, so six months would take us around November, so I started thinking about it in my head and said this must be a joke and by February 2020, I had COVID-19 when the pandemic was almost a death sentence and I thought maybe these guys who said this were and you know (laughs)…
” But of course, the COVID thing went by and I started watching his body language and I saw he was super focus on his 2023 gubernatorial ambition as opposed to contributing to the mandate that Oyo State people gave to us”.
