Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has urged members of his team and political family to stay united to ensure the development of Oyo State beyond 2027.
The governor called on all party leaders, stakeholders and, especially, candidates as well as aspirants for different elective offices in 2027 to stick together for the continuation of the good works started by his administration in 2019.
Governor Makinde, who stated this on Friday evening, at a meeting with political stakeholders, declared that though some people have been praising him for raising the bar of governance in Oyo State, the achievement should be attributed to his team, as everyone contributed and is still contributing their quotas to uplift the state.
He cautioned against allowing ambitions to divide the team, stating that the 51 elective posts in the general elections can only be taken by a few people who would need the generality of the people to succeed.
The governor, who noted that the engagement with critical stakeholders would be a continued exercise, said the people of Oyo State have tasked him and his team to select a credible set of people, who can continue the good works his government has been doing, assuring that they will deliver the votes in 2027 as they did in 2019 and 2023.
He noted, however, that party members and loyalists must not allow ambitions to derail that focus, as it is only through continued unity and the success of the team that the people of Oyo State can continue to reap the benefits of the administration.
He said that the time calls for peacebuilding and overlooking wrongs so as not to allow the system to be derailed with misinformation and disinformation, which he said some people have begun to peddle to distract the team.
He added that he and the team were thankful to God and the people of Oyo State for the opportunity to serve them, noting that another thing to be thankful for is how the team has changed the way politics is played in the state, conducting congresses and picking candidates without violence over the last seven years.
He said: “It has been a tough period for us, politically. When the Speaker, Rt Hon Adebo Ogundoyin, was talking, he said that I am the best governor, but I will say no. It is the team.
“For me, there must not be any division, so that Oyo State people can reap further the benefits of this team. Only one person can occupy a position at any one time. Apart from the positions at the local government levels, the elective positions for the 2027 general elections are 51. That means 51 people out of a population of about 10 million.
“So, no matter how we look at it, we must be thankful to God, and we must be grateful to the people of Oyo State for giving us the opportunity to serve them.
“So, I just want to appeal that this team must be together, and it must continue the good work we have started for the benefit of the people of Oyo State.
“It is only God that places one in position. My own political ambition from the beginning was to be a Senator, but I became the governor because God’s will for a man is the ultimate. So, it is important that we must watch out for one another and be our brother’s keeper.”
He added, “What the people of Oyo State are saying now is that they want continuity of this administration. They are saying ‘let the team be together and we will deliver you, regardless of the party platform you want to use to contest’.
“We must keep the team together and we will continue with the engagement. At this period, there will be a lot of misinformation and disinformation. People will be saying different things to divide us. And for us, this is the period we need to settle whatever grievances we may have.”
The meeting was attended by the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Barr. Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal; Speaker of the Oyo State of Assembly, Rt Hon Adebo Ogundoyin; Member representing Ibadan South West/Ibadan North West in the House of Representatives, Hon. Adedeji Stanley Olajide; the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon. Adeyinka Adeniyi; Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources, Prof. Daud Kehinde Shagodoyin; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon. Ademola Ojo; Commissioner for Lands, Hon. Williams Akin-Funmilayo; Senior Executive Assistant to the Governor, Chief Bayo Lawal; and Chairman of The Association of Local Governments of Oyo State, Hon Sikiru Sanda.
Also in attendance were Chairman of Ladoke Akintola Airport Upgrade Committee, Hon Bimbo Adekanmbi; Chairman, Oyo State at 50 Planning Committee, Hon Saheed Akinade-Fijabi; Special Adviser on Federal Constituency Matters, Hon Dare Adeleke; Director General, Oyo State Agency for People with Disabilities, Barrister Ayodele Adekanmbi; Chairman, Oyo State Local Government Service Commission, Hon Akinwale Akinwole; Chairman, Oyo State Project Performance Monitoring Agency, Engr Muftau Salawu; Chairman, Oyo State Housing Corporation, Hon Ademola Omotoso; and Chairman, Oyo State Hospital Management Board (OYSHMB), Dr Akin Fagbemi.
Others include Hon. Ismail Osuolale Ashipa, Engr. Abduljelyl Adekunle Karheem (Mogaji Adanla), Hon. Babatunde Tijani, Hon. Abayomi Fagbenro, and Hon. Tunji Ogunrinde SAN, among others.
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