Leadership of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State has been
cautioned not to give in to pressure from a group of party leaders in
Abuja on the planned imposition of the former Senate Leader, Senator
Teslim Folarin as the PDP gubernatorial candidate for the State in the
2015 general elections.
The leadership under the arrow head of Seriki Yekini Adeojo was
particularly warned that any attempt to impose Senator Folarin as the
party’s flag bearer through any form would spell doom for PDP in all the
According to a statement issued in Ibadan today by the Rescue Team 2015, a
group that has become popular through its sustained crusade for the return
of PDP to power in Oyo State noted that information filtering out from the
leaders on their latest disposition to the candidature of Senator Folarin
whom most of them had earlier decried for the gubernatorial election has
become a source of worry capable of ruining the party and tarnishing the
leaders’ reputation as well.
The Team in the statement signed by its Coordinator, Mr. Babalola Afobaje
added that the claim that the leadership has finally ceded the ticket to
him was already scaring away prospective members while many old members
are now contemplating on mass exodus from the PDP.
Though The Rescue Team disclosed that it was not unaware of the immense
pressure being piled on the leaders including Seriki Yekini Adeojo, High
Chief Lekan Balogun , Oloye Jumoke Akinjide , Senator Hosea Agboola and
others by the same cabal that misled the national leadership of the party
in fielding a wrong candidate for the Osun gubernatorial election
maintained that the leaders should be steadfast and be bold enough to let
the Abuja know that the candidature of the former Senate Leader that wage
a serious war against PDP in 2011 was a hard sell.
“We are equally aware”, the group said “of the various degrees of
intimidation being faced by the leaders in the hands of Senator Folarin
who is always fast in mentioning the names of the Deputy [KNational
Chairman of the party, Chief Uche Secondus and the highly respected
stability personified, The Senate President, Senator David Mark as those
that have already given him the ticket”
“While we would not accept the seeming summersault on the issue of Teslim
Folarin by the leaders as deliberate ploy to sabotage the party at the
elections as already being insinuated in some quarters, we would like to
advise our revered leaders to trace the path of success in the in interest
of the party , the teeming members of PDP in Oyo State and for their own
sake to resist any temptation and intimidation from any quarters and see
that only the credible, non controversial , popular and acceptable
candidates are fielded for all positions.
“ How on earth will our leaders succumb to any pressure from whatever
quarters to field a PDP Senator that openly ruined the chances of our
party of winning the gubernatorial and other elections in 2011 and as well
continued our people oriented government in the state . If he and his co
travelers have forgotten the havoc wrecked in the last elections, the PDP
members that he deprived the chances of becoming commissioners, special
advisers, special assistants, local government chairmen, councilors and
myriads of other positions are still nursing the wounds.
“The masses of Oyo State too are equally bitter with the Senator for the
ignoble role he played in the installation of Senator Ajimobi as Governor
who has unleashed unprecedented hardship , pain , sorrow deprivation,
hunger and penury on the masses of the state”.
The Rescue Team argued further that “ if the party members are crossed
with Senator Folarin and the generality of the people too bitter with him,
of what value would the choice of Senator Folarin as the gubernatorial
candidate of the PDP be to the party?
We have listened to you severally we know you have good plans on how you
had earlier planned to choose for us. We all know that PDP is the most
popular party in the state now. The state is just for the pick by the
party but choosing a person all of you know qu
ite well cannot even win a councillorship seat would be suicidal and the
members would certainly not be pleased with it.”
For those scheming for Senator Folarin from far away Abuja our advice is
that they should come to Ibadan and more specifically come privately to
Ona Ara , the home local government of Senator Folarin to ascertain his
popularity. Out of any ten persons they may not get a single person that
would support him.”
As committed and totally loyal party members, The Rescue Team said they
would take their campaign to all the notable party leaders in the state
and as well visit all the credible aspirants and other stakeholders in
ensuring that PDP field the best candidates for the governorship and all
posts. We have a very good opportunity to win Oyo State 100 per cent and
we will not allow the opportunity to slip through our fingers.