Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has slammed a former Minister of Power and Steel, Wole Oyelese, over his comment on the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Oyelese had on Thursday attacked Makinde for abstaining from the presidential campaign rally organized to solicit votes for the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Speaking with reporters, the PDP chieftain opined that Makinde needs Atiku to win his re-election, adding that the governor’s decision to stay away from the rally was treacherous.
He advised Makinde to retrace his steps, noting that the need for him to rescind his decision was necessary to realise his second-term ambition.
“I see the current situation as an act of treachery when you belong to a political party and you are working against the presidential candidate of that party. It is Seyi that needs Atiku and not Atiku that needs him, because Oyo State people have made up their minds to support Atiku.
“The bottom line is that Makinde should campaign openly for Atiku or else, it will be taken that he has made a statement in line with what the G-5 governors have been saying and this is dangerous for his second term ambition. Makinde should know That Wike has lost it.” Oyelese said.
However, reacting to the comments during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Makinde said he was not surprised by Oyelese’s statement because he is no more relevant in the state and in the country.
The governor said it is Atiku that actually needs his support to clinch the state in next month’s election due to his administration’s achievements in the last three and half years.
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Makinde took a jab at Oyelese’s alleged unpopularity, saying in the latter’s hometown of Erunmu, the indigenes “wouldn’t even touch him with a long pole.”
The governor, who went on to urge the former minister to be objective in the analysis of the PDP crisis, described him as an “expired politician.”
He said: “Elder Oyelese is older than me and I will not disrespect him. But I think he basically stood logic on its head. It is the other way round.
“If our candidate will need to win in Oyo State, I will have to campaign for him because PDP in Oyo State is riding on the achievements that we’ve been able to make these three plus years.
“So, if he’s looking for a ministerial position – I don’t think anyone will give him a ministerial position anyway because the last time he had the opportunity, he didn’t do well at all.”
“So, you have all of these so-called expired politicians and then they go out there and say, ‘We’ve done this. We can do this.’
“I respect the opponents; I respect some of the challenges that we have to face for this election. But we are realists. We are driven by data and logic. We demonstrated it before.”
