You can’t use blackmail to get Tinubu’s attention, Oyo APC mocks Makinde

The oyo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has again called out Governor Seyi Makinde over an alleged claim that he had an agreement of partnership on the ongoing general election with the President-elect, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, warning him to bury the idea of securing a second term in office through the instrumentality of blackmail, falsehood, and propaganda.

The aftermath of the last presidential and national assembly elections has been greeted with the exchange of words from the camp of Governor Makinde and members of the opposition APC in the state on account of claims and counterclaims about the governor playing a role in the victory of Sen. Tinubu over Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Sen. Rabiu Kwakwanso of the People’s Democratic Party, Labour Party, and New Nigeria People’s Party respectively.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Ibadan and made available to press men by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC berated Governor Makinde over what it described as “his overt and covert but futile efforts geared towards creating a false impression about being instrumental to the emergence of Sen. Tinubu as the President-elect to position himself for a soft landing at the next poll coming up this Saturday.

“Rather than respond to the challenge which we threw last week on this same subject matter, Governor Makinde has continued to hide behind a finger by sponsoring some misguided individuals to spread the fake news about a purported agreement between the President-elect and the five aggrieved PDP governors referred to as G5. Governor Makinde’s men mischievously tell the fake story of him delivering Oyo state to Sen. Tinubu on February 25 whereas they do not have a single fact to back up their claims.

“There are records of efforts put up by Oyo APC chieftains such as Sen. Teslim Folarin, Hon. Isaac Omodewu, Engr. Rauf Olaniyan, Dr. Fola Akinosun, and Prof. Abideen Olaiya among others visited all the media houses in the state to promote the candidature of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu while we also have it on record how Governor Makinde’s media handlers used every available opportunity to run down the presidential candidate of the APC. In addition, members of the public keep a record of all the coordinated vandalism done to the billboards and other outdoor campaign materials of the former Lagos state governor in every part of Oyo state.

“Again, we make bold to ask whether it was Governor Makinde who caused Oyo to be the state which gave Sen. Bola Tinubu the highest number of delegate votes at the APC presidential primary last year. We also put it to the governor and his sympathizers to bring out any media material or document in which he (Makinde) mentioned Tinubu as his choice of a presidential candidate before the declaration of poll results by INEC even as they have not produced the agreement they claim Asiwaju signed with the G5 governors.

“The truth remains that no reasonable political leader or gladiator would risk supporting Governor Makinde for a second term given his unenviable record of betrayal, backstabbing, and poor performance in office. For the avoidance of doubt, Sen. Tinubu is abreast of happenings in Oyo state’s political space and he is comfortable with the choice of Sen. Teslim Folarin as the next governor of the Pacesetter and the person with him he would work to uplift our dear state”, Sadare added.