Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun on Tuesday advised his counterpart from
Ekiti, Ayodele Fayose to face the reality of the death of his political
party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Aregbesola stated this when Fayose counterpart paid him a courtesy visit
at the Government House in Osogbo.
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He said while he is not asking the governor to abandon the PDP against his
wish, he would only advise him to join hands with a political party that
will give hope to the people of Nigeria.
He also charged the Ekiti State governor to direct his energy towards
bringing human and physical development to western region and Nigeria as a
whole.
Fayose, during the visit, said that he is in Osun not for any political
reasons and that he is not ready to abandon the PDP for the All
Progressives Congress (APC) but for his belief in the Yoruba race and her
development and unity.
Aregbesola described the visit of Governor Fayose to Osun as demonstration
of maturity, saying it takes a very matured human being to know that at
the end of every public office, he will be left with humanity.
He said, “Osoko has said that he is not going to leave his party, but the
reality today is that PDP has served its term in Nigeria. When a horse is
dead, it is either you abandon it or you bury it.
“I want my good friend and brother to know that PDP has exhausted it’s
stay in Nigeria, it can no longer be revived, let us look at a political
party that will give hope to our people. Opposition must be for a purpose,
I stand by you on the unity of Yoruba land and that our leaders not put
down in the country.
“The war is over, we are in a season of mobilising our people to
agriculture and produce such that we will economically have the strength
to give leadership to the Nation and Africa. Our energy must be directed
at bringing human and physical development, we have enough in this region
to give leadership”. Aregbesola stressed.
He assured Fayose that he will stand by him in his effort to galvanise the
people of South-west for accelerated development.
The Governor who lamented the present economic situation of the country
noted that there is an invasion on the economy of Nigeria to the extent
that the country is loosing 75 percent of her income due to oil glut.
“The country is facing a very serious crises with the rate at which the
crude oil price is falling. There is an invasion on the economy to the
level that we are loosing 75 percent of our income which is not good.
“At this point, wise people must have an alternative to oil which part of
it is your visit. We must use our culture and affinity to form a bond that
can make our people live a normal life, it is a duty that we owe our
people, States and Nigeria as a whole”.
Speaking earlier, Governor Fayose stated that against all speculations
that he was coming to Osogbo to ask Aregbesola help him beg President
Muhammadu Buhari, he was in Osun for the unity of Yoruba race.
He added that the Yoruba race is greater than any political office hence
his belief in the development of the race.
The governor averred that the visit of the Ooni of Ife to the 45th
coronation of the Alaafin of Oyo is instructive hence the need for every
Yoruba sons and daughters to see to the unity and progress of the race.
He said, “This is my first official visit to any APC state in Nigeria. I
am not in Osogbo to ask Aregbesola to help me beg as being speculated in
some quarters. We are all Yoruba, politics is like water, it can flow
anywhere.
“I believe in the Yoruba race, the race comes first before the office of
the governor. The race is eternal while that of governor is momentary. We
must watch today to be guided by tomorrow. I am here for the unity of
Yoruba as it affect the Oodua, the progenitor” Fayose emphasised.