By Tony Obi
the Oke Ogun people in Oyo State have expressed delight in the pledge by Governor Abiola Ajimobi to support an Oke Ogun indigene to succeed him come 2019.
A statement by the spokesman of Oke ogun Council of Elders (OCE), Comrade Jare Ajayi, said the pledge showed the governor as a person who has a “sense of appreciation.”
Ajimobi while speaking at the fidau prayer (funeral) of Alhaji Salami Akorede Akangbe Oloola in Okeho, last week said he would support an Oke Ogun person to become the next governor. He asserted that he would do this in appreciation of the support given him in the 2015 general elections.
The support enabled him to become the first governor to win an election for a second term in the state. Recalling that he won in nine out of 10 local government areas in Oke Ogun, the governor gave assurance that 2019 would be a payback time.
He, however, offered the people a golden advice: “The Oke-Ogun indigene who would become governor of Oyo State must be able to win over the support of Ibadan people who form 52 percent of the state’s population. Just as no one in Nigeria can win the presidential election without the support of other parts of the country, so must any indigene of Oke-Ogun who wants to be governor of the state win the support of Ibadan people.”
In a tacit response, Ajayi assured him: “Oke Ogun people are reaching out to people in all the zones in Oyo State. The Oke ogun indigene who will be governor in 2019 by the grace of God will be Governor for Oyo State as a whole. As such, it is important, in fact necessary, that such a person must get support across the length and breadth of the state.”
He added that some of the people from Oke Ogun showing interest in the 2019 race are already reaching out:
“Thank God, we have always been very friendly with everyone including Ibadan people. We are happy to note that we have an excellent relationship with the people of Ibadan. As such, we look forward to getting their unflinching support before, during and after the 2019 elections.”
The OCE stated that those who come out to vie for the first position in the state would be among the best that could be found anywhere: “For that reason, we are assuring everyone that the state will continue to fare very well under the leadership of an Oke Ogun indigene as governor.”
While calling on Oke Ogun people to support their own, the elders lauded Ajimobi for the open declaration of his support for an indigene Oke Ogun as governor in 2019. They assured him of their support as he continued to pilot the affairs of the state.