Indigenes of Oke Ogun geopolitical zone in Oyo State on Thursday insisted that they were ready to boycott the 2019 gubernatorial election if the existing political parties failed to field indigenes of the zone as their gubernatorial candidates.
They made this declaration when representatives of Oke Ogun Development Consultative Forum (ODCF), the umbrella body of socio-cultural organisations in the zone visited state secretariats of some existing political parties in Ibadan, the state capital.
Among the political parties visited by the association on behalf of thousands of indigenes of the zone by ODCF delegation include the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).
DAILY POST recalls that indigenes of Oke Ogun zone which has 10 local government areas out of the present 33 local government areas in the state have over the years been clamouring for gubernatorial slot in the state.
The zone which has been producing Deputy Governor, Speaker or Secretary to the state government since inception of the fourth republic in 1999, had a few months ago, intensified efforts to produce the successor of the current governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi.
But, ODCF President, Dr. Olusegun Ajuwon who handed over the association’s protest letter entitled, “Oke Ogun states position on 2018 governorship election: Oke Ogun candidate or no election”, to chairmen of the political parties on Thursday insisted that the zone will have nothing to do with the 2019 elections if the existing political parties failed to concede the gubernatorial tickets to their indigenes.
Ajuwon in the letter made available to DAILY POST added that any political party that fails to fill their indigenes shall not be welcomed in the zone.
He said, “We are determined and have resolved as well, that if none of the political parties fields any of our sons or daughters, we shall not have anything to do with the 2019 gubernatorial election in Oyo state. We hope that the political class in the state will not dare the will of Oke Ogun people this time around.
“As we approach the election year, we the people of Oke Ogun believe that it is necessary to once again re-state our position concerning forthcoming elections, most especially the 2019 governorship position.
“Today our people felt unrecognised, unprotected and marginalised even in spite of our unalloyed loyalty to the political progress of Oyo state for several years. It is sad to note that no political party has ever thought it fit and or justifiable to field an Oke Ogun indigene for the position of the governor, notwithstanding our consistent aspiration in this regard. The consistency of Oke Ogun people in their efforts to promote honesty in politics and ensure untainted political loyalty is seen as political weakness and timidity by almost all the political parties operating in Oyo state. This tendency must stop.
He said, “Oke Ogun has therefore resolved to say, ” Enough is enough”. Our resolve in Oke Ogun is that come 2019; an Oke Ogun indigene must become the governor of Oyo state.
“Any political party that fails to field an Oke Ogun indigene shall not be welcomed anywhere in Oke Ogun. This is an important message we are passing to the executive councils of the political parties that will be fielding candidates for the 2019 gubernatorial election in Oyo state. Oke Ogun has paid her dues in all the existing political platforms to which its indigenes belong.
“It is on this note, we appeal to your party to look into the profiles of Oke Ogun indigenes in your midst with a view to picking a reliable aspirant of Oke Ogun extraction as your gubernatorial candidate if the votes of our people are to be guaranteed”.
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