Stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Ogbomosoland on Saturday declared that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State remains PDP’s best choice to fly its flag in the 2023 governorship election.

The stakeholders, who rose from a two-hour meeting at the Lagbami Osekun Hall, Ogbomoso South Local Government Secretariat, Arowomole, said that Makinde has been fair to Ogbomoso zone with the delivery of democracy dividends.

They thereafter resolved that the governor should be backed to seek re-election in office.

After the two-hour deliberation, stakeholders including political appointees of Ogbomoso origin, ward chairmen of the PDP, the party’s chairmen in Ogbomoso zone, local government chairpersons, and their counterparts at the Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), the gathering resolved to back Makinde for a second term in office.

Director-General of the Oyo State Public, Private Partnership Agency (OYSIPA), Hon. Segun Ogunwuyi moved for the endorsement of Governor Makinde for second term, while the Executive Chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State(BCOS), Prince Dotun Oyelade presided over the voice vote session, where the ‘ayes’ had it.

While speaking, Hon. Ogunwuyi told the gathering that even though human beings are naturally Oliver Twist, the people of Ogbomoso are ready to express appreciation to the governor for what he has done in the area thus far, adding that Makinde has been fair to the area in terms of appointments.

“I can tell this gathering that we have witnessed a tremendous increase and need to keep striving hard. He has proved that he loves the people of Ogbomoso so dearly by doing some certain things for us. He encouraged us by giving us Attorney-General of the state and I can tell you there are only a few things the Attorney-General may not know in government.

“Today, over 40 per cent of the allocation of the state resides within Education and Works Ministry and we also have the DG Signage Agency, which is a revenue-generating agency. The Governor has done a lot for us but we will still ask for more. As far as I am concerned, on the issue of appointment, I believe Ogbomoso is well represented”, he said.

Hon. George Ogunlade, who spoke on behalf all the PDP local government chairmen in Ogbomoso zone said that the governor has shown tremendous respect to the party structure, adding that the PDP has been growing since Makinde’s inauguration as governor.

He said: “The governor believes there is a party and there is a government and he has not stopped giving reverence to the party which gave birth to the government. Everyone is seeing the good things, which the governor is doing in Oyo State. I can tell you that there is no party that has more members than us in Ogbomoso zone. We have received defectors from the ZLP, ADP, ADC and even APC and we have not seen a single member leave the party.”

Caretaker Chairman of Ogo Oluwa Local Government, Hon. Seun Ojo, who spoke for chairpersons of local governments and local council development areas said that the councils have been busy opening drainages and fixing infrastructure.

He said that all the 12 caretaker chairmen were in support of another four years for Governor Makinde.

He said: “God has used the Governor to achieve many things in the party in Ogbomoso in terms of infrastructure. In this Ogbomoso South Local Government, some places are now motorable and we are making it look as though PDP is the only party in this place. People are happy with the government of PDP. Some culverts have been fixed and we are opening up more roads across all the five local governments and seven LCDAs.”

Another stakeholder, a former Commissioner for Finance in the state, Hon. Bayo Bankole said that even though regular payment of salaries is intangible, it means a lot to the economy of the state. “We really need to support him. I want to urge us to continue with the good works,” he said.

The Commissioner for Education, Barrister Olasunkanmi Olaleye said that Makinde has worked conscientiously for the people of Ogbomoso, adding that all the abandoned model schools in the zone have been fixed by the governor.

He also said that with the sole ownership of LAUTECH, Ogbomoso by Oyo State, and the push to make it a conventional university, the spate of development in the institution and Ogbomosoland would more than double.

According to him, the addition of Faculties such as Law, Education, Arts, and Social Sciences would neutralize the decision to move the Faculty of Agriculture outside Ogbomoso.

“We are happy that we are now the sole owner of LAUTECH. So, we urge you to always support this administration,” Olaleye said.

Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo, who  also spoke, said that he was happy to serve on the committee that resolved LAUTECH’s lingering issue with Osun state.

He added that  Oyo state has since discovered that the large expanse of land remaining in the institution would be put to best use if the school is made a conventional University with the addition of new faculties that would be based in Ogbomoso.

He said that the governor has cleared pension areas of Judicial workers from 2009 to date adding that the governor has also taken up significant roads like the Iseyin/Ogbomoso road and the Iseyin/ Oyo road.

“The governor has paid the pension of all judicial workers since 2009. Right now we are not owing any pension,” Oyewo said.

Majority Leader of Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Sanjo Adedoyin, who was also at the meeting said that the House would continue to support Governor Makinde because he has been taking decisions in the best interest of the people.

He said of Makinde: “Those who are speaking ill of him are only trying to play politics. Sincerely, whoever tells you he does not love us is feeding you with lies. He is personally determined and after the progress of this state. There is nothing that will stop LAUTECH from doing very well as a conventional university.

“I am happy to be one of the team that worked towards achieving the sole ownership of LAUTECH. During the negotiation for sole ownership, we discovered that we have just used just 10 per cent of the portion of landmass belonging to LAUTECH. Very soon, I can assure you that LAITECH will not just be producing educated but learned people. In Oyo State, God has won for the PDP.

“On security, we have to cooperate with Amotekun on what they are doing. We also have to know the truth about security because there are a lot of fake news out there. I want you to take this away, that there is no party that is as unique as PDP in Oyo State.”

Those in attendance include the Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Oyewo Oyelowo; Commissioner for Education, Olasunkanmi Olaleye; Chairman, BCOS Prince Dotun Oyelade, DG OYSIPA, Hon. Segun Ogunwuyi; House of Assembly Leader, Hon. Sanjo Adedoyin, the 12 chairmen of Ogbomoso councils and LCDA chairpersons; Ward Chairmen of the party in the 50 wards of Ogbomoso; PDP Chairmen in the five local governments; former Chairman of Ogbomoso South Local government, Hon Felix Akande; former Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Alao-Akala, Hon Razak Gbadegesin; former Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Bayo Bankole and the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa.

Others are the State Organising Secretary, Hon. Taiwo Alagbe; a member of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mrs. Folashade Ajala; a Commissioner of the Local Government Service Commission, Hon John Adisa Oke; the Chief of Staff to the Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Leke Gabriel, Hon. Oladoja Agbejinmi; Hon Banji Folaranmi, Elder Abioye Mathew Adegboyega and a host of other party members.