.Oyo governor berates Atiku for not reaching out to him over incident
Oyo State Governor, ’Seyi Makinde, yesterday, chided a former Vice President and presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 polls, Atiku Abubakar, for not reaching out to him despite the havoc wrecked by the explosion in the Bodija area of Ibadan on January 16, 2024.
Makinde expressed dismay while playing host to the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, in his Agodi Secretariat Office, Ibadan.
The governor lamented that out of the three major presidential candidates in the 2023 elections, President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peter Obi of the LP had both reached out to commiserate with him and the people of the state except Atiku of the PDP.
Makinde said: “I should use this opportunity, on behalf of the good people of Oyo State, to thank Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last election.
“I am particularly grateful because the President called me. We have three musketeers that went for that election. The President has reached out to me. You have reached out to me but my own party’s candidate did not even put a call to me or send a text message. I am saying this openly so that our leaders would know that. You have time for politics, governance and humanity. So, we want to thank you for this visit.
In his remarks, Obi commiserated with Makinde and the people of the state over the explosion.
He also sent condolences to victims and families of those who lost their lives to the tragic blast, while praying God to comfort the bereaved families.
The LP presidential candidate lauded the governor for rising up swiftly and responsively to curtail the situation and showing what he said governance should be about.
He said: “It is necessary that when things like what happened here in Ibadan happens, and government responds in a manner government should respond, everybody comes to commend it for doing the right thing.”
Obi, who spoke on the need to cut down the cost of governance to preserve resources to address other critical areas requiring urgent attention, said: “It’s a matter of sacrifice. Elections are over, governance is the key thing and what is required is that we need to cut the cost of governance, especially at the federal level.”
Also, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, led by its Deputy Leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, who represented Pa Ayo Adebanjo, expressed condolence to Makinde and people of Oyo State on the loss of lives and wanton destruction of property during the explosion.
Ọláìtán, who delivered the goodwill message from Adebanjo, spoke of the exemplary leadership quality of Makinde as a true patriot.
He extolled the virtues of Ọmọlúwàbíin the governor.
In his response, the governor thanked Adebanjo for raising the delegation that included all the national officers of Afenifere,and also deeming it fit to identify with him and the state.
