Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
Ahead of the governorship election billed for September 22 in Osun State, aggrieved traders, students, artisans and youths yesterday hit the streets of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, and embarked on a peaceful protest over alleged marginalisation of Osun West Senatorial District in the governorship seat.
The protesters who turned out in their hundreds first gathered at the popular Freedom Park in Osogbo as early as 8am and terminated at the APC secretariat.
They were armed with banners and placards bearing various inscriptions indicating that the senatorial district had not produced a governor in the state since the nation returned to democratic rule in 1999.
The protesters pledged to massively support any governorship candidate from Osun West, insisting that any party that presented a candidate from other senatorial districts apart from Osun West would be defeated in the election.
Mr Saheed Miftah, the coordinator of the Osun Continuity Movement who led the protest, said the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke remained the only governor from Osun West to have governed the state and spent only 22 months before the military truncated the democratic rule.
“In the interest of fairness, equity and justice Osun West Senatorial District should produce the next governor of the State. There is no way anyone can claim that there is no meritorious and competent candidate(s) for the governorship seat from the West Senatorial District’ Miftah said.
“The political history of Osun at this moment has arrived at a juncture where it must necessarily see the convergence of merit, competence, equity, fairness, and continuity of the giant developmental strides as what is politically correct.
“Without regards to any political affiliation, this fact must be recognised that the best space for any political party to pick a competent, visionary and progressive-minded candidate from, is the Osun West Senatorial District.