PDP’ll lose Osun without my support –Oyinlola

Former Osun State governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party in the state will, without his support, lose the 2014 governorship election.

Oyinlola, who is one of the leaders of the new faction of the PDP, said this on Sunday while addressing party supporters at the Odo Otin Grammar School, Okuku.

The supporters had thronged Okuku, Oyinlola’s hometown, to welcome him back home, in defiance of an order by the PDP Elders Committee in the state that any PDP member who attended any meeting called by Oyinlola or the ‘new PDP’ would be sanctioned.

The former governor described Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, whom he constantly referred to as a former PDP chairman, as a dictator who ran the affairs of the party without recourse to the provisions of the constitution.

He said that his crisis with Tukur started immediately after they both assumed office in March 2012. He explained that Tukur appointed a chief of staff and media aides which was against what the PDP constitution stipulated.

He added that his stand as the National Secretary of the party that those aides should not be paid from the party’s purse triggered off the crisis.

He also said that President Goodluck Jonathan victimised him because of his relationship with Gen. Ibrahim Babangida who he said he had known for over 30 years.

He said, “I am happy that despite the threat that you should no longer associate with me, you still come out in large number to honour me. God will honour you all. Without my support, it will be impossible for the PDP to win the governorship election in Osun State.

“They can only go round to campaign with what they intend to do but if I follow them I will tell the people what I have done in the state.”

Oyinlola explained that the manipulation of the delegates’ list for the mini convention led to the breakaway of the new PDP faction because some of the governors were stabbed in the back.

He said that the faction had booked the Sheu Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, for an imaginary wedding reception for them to be able to use the venue to announce the emergence of the ‘new PDP’.

“They would have sealed the place off the way they did to our party secretariat, but we beat them to it by booking the venue for wedding without making our intention known,” he said.

Asked if he could join the All Progressive Congress, Oyinlola said, “ I will go elsewhere if I am no longer wanted.”

PUNCH