…Says no more relationship with other parties for March 11th
From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, on Friday confirmed that the G-5 Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had relationship with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP) for the Saturday February 25, 2023 presidential poll.
He made the disclosure when he commissioned a 500,000 litre capacity aviation fuel depot for Ibadan Airport at Alakia, which was initiated by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State towards upgrading the airport to international standards.
The event also witnessed the commissioning of 3.2 kilometre Airport Road dualisation, name after a former governor of Old Oyo State, Dr. Omololu Olunloyo, who has endorsed Makinde for second term in office. The park at the beginning of the road, which is expected to be a tourist destination, was also flagged off.
The G-5 Governors, comprises Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, and the leader of the group, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State. They all supported power shift to the South after eight year tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari who is from the Northern part of the country.
Wike, who described Makinde as the youth leader of the G-5 Governors, said there was relationship, and that “the relationship ended last Saturday February 25th. There is no more relationship with the broom (the logo of APC) and the labour ( referring to Labour Part). The grammar we want to hear now is umbrella ( which is the logo of PDP).” He, however, urged the people of Oyo State to re-elect Makinde for a second term in office.
“Within three and half years, everyone can attest to the fact that, Makinde is one of the best Governors in Nigeria. Hs impact is felt in health, agriculture, infrastructure, even aviation. This project we are here to commision is that of the Federal Government. But Oyo State is here reconstructing the roads, modern aviation tanks in the Airport, which I believed will further boost Aviation sector in Oyo State.”
He asked the Federal Government to refund the state on the project. He added that if the government could no longer handle the airport, it should hand it over to the state government. Wike said: “With Makinde’s flair for development and reengineering of modern Oyo State, I have no doubt that on March 11, the good people of Oyo State are coming out to vote Makinde.”
Makinde also said: “Our projects and policies have ensured that Oyo State economy continues to grow. As of 2022, we have reduced Oyo State dependence on FAAC to just about 50 per cent. But this will be one of the last projects we will commission before the election, and it is significant that we have taken another step towards opening our state to further economic growth.
“I can say this is a transition project. On one hand, it was conceived as one of the projects that will form that foundation for accelerated development, which we call Omituntun 1.0. Work on this road commenced in the month of February 2022, we have completed it in one year and just in time to move into Omituntun 2.0.”