Oyo State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dayo Ogungbenro, speaks with ISMAEEL UTHMAN on the threat to reclaim the state by the opposition in 2027 and Governor Seyi Makinde’s succession move
Mrs Florence Ajimobi, wife of the former governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, has denied a viral video in which she allegedly threatened war to reclaim the state for the APC. What do you see in that?
She is a former first lady, and we have to extend every courtesy and respect to her as the wife of our former beloved state governor, Abiola Ajimobi. Irrespective of party differences, I have to respect his family. Politics is not about war. Elections are not about war. Everybody knows, and she knows what she got, and that was why she retracted.
The beauty of democracy allows for recurring elections, depending on the constitutional imperatives of such a country. In our country, elections hold every four years. We have to test our leaders; if they pass, we vote for them again after four years. If they don’t, we put them aside and get some other people. So, it’s not supposed to be about war. It’s supposed to be about what party A or B or C can place before the people and allow the people to make their preference. That is the way I understand politics.
No election is worth the blood of any innocent person in our state or Nigeria at large. I’m happy Her Excellency has seen, or maybe she was brutally told, that the statement is unbecoming of somebody who has held such an office in the state. Oyo State is not supposed to be on fire because we are going to conduct elections in 2027. We want a peaceful election. The PDP wants a peaceful election where parties will be given a level playing ground and INEC will be unbiased and allow the people to make their preference.
One of the issues trending in your state is the fund released by the Federal Government for the compensation of the victims of the Bodija explosion. Governor Seyi Makinde has been accused of misappropriating the fund. How true is this?
After the blast, Governor Seyi Makinde went to the Federal Government, just like other states would do when there is an emergency. He reportedly asked for about N100bn, but the President was magnanimous to promise him N50bn. Of that amount, N30bn was said to have been released. The governor used state funds to take care of the emergency and kept the N30bn, and it is already on record that he used almost N27bn. What is corrupt or incompetent in that?
