A group of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants who contested for various positions ahead of the 2023 general election in Oyo State have accused Governor Seyi Makinde of reneging on commitments allegedly made to them during the party’s primary process.
The aspirants, drawn from all 33 local government areas of the state, are expected to hold a meeting in Ibadan on Saturday, February 7, at 11 a.m., to deliberate on what they described as the governor’s failure to fulfil promises made after they stepped down from the primaries.
According to the group, the governor had prevailed on them to withdraw from the primary elections in favour of candidates aligned with his camp, assuring them of political appointments after the elections. They, however, claimed that those assurances have remained unfulfilled.
One of the aspirants, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said meetings were held with Governor Makinde in March and April 2022 at the Government House, Agodi, Ibadan, during which the assurances were given.
“He appealed to us to step aside from the primaries to ensure party cohesion and promised that political appointments would follow after the elections.
He even invoked the name of God as a pledge of sincerity,” the aspirant said.
Another aspirant described the situation as a breach of trust, alleging that repeated efforts to meet with the governor after the elections have failed.
“We have tried several times to see the governor to remind him of the commitments made, but we have been unable to secure an audience. This has left us with the impression that those promises are being deliberately ignored,” the aspirant said.
The aspirants said their planned meeting would focus on reviewing developments since the election and agreeing on a collective response to what they described as marginalisation.
The statement was jointly signed by Hon. Afeez Olanrewaju Basorun, Chairman of the Media Committee; Hon. Mrs Adedeji Olaide, Vice Chairman; Hon. Odeyemi Kabiru Ajibola, Secretary; and Hon. Mrs Kemi Oladeji Olaide, Assistant Secretary.
