By Nurat Uthman
The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, has charged candidates for the governorship and house of assembly election to avoid bitterness and acrimony as they go to the polls next Saturday.
The traditional ruler gave the charge when he hosted the governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Akim Ademola Yusuf, at his Alarere residence on Saturday.
As contained in release by his Personal Assistant (Media), Oladele Ogunsola and made available to Sunday Vanguard, the Olubadan spoke through the Ekerin Olubadan, High Chief Hamidu Ajibade.
The ADP candidate, accompanied by party stalwarts and his supporters, paid a visit to the Olubadan to receive royal blessings ahead of the election, scheduled to hold next Saturday.
The visit also had in attendance the Director-General of the ADP Campaign Organisation, Comrade Olaolu Oni, among others.
The election, shifted from today by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), gave the political parties and their candidates a week window of opportunity to do more campaigns.
Oba Balogun said the charge became imperative, given the need for the candidates of the various political parties to come together after the election to build a virile Oyo State.
He remarked that reconciliation would be very difficult to achieve after election, if some people are hurt psychologically and emotionally in the course of electioneering.
The monarch said: “None of you candidates aspiring to lead the state presently is a push-over in terms of manifesto packaging and delivery. The state needs you all, but talking realistically, only one of you would be elected.”
“Thus, if we allow love and brotherliness to guide and guard our utterances and actions during the campaigns, coming together, both as elected and opposition, to work together on how to move the state forward would not be difficult and our people would be better for it.”
“That is my charge and that is what I think is the best for our darling state.”
“I am very happy and proud that our state is blessed with people of vision and focus, highly cerebral and cosmopolitan in outlook and this makes our state very lucky, in that whoever emerges after the election surely has something to offer.”
“But, it would be an icing on our cake if all of you think of the greatness of the state by ensuring that the gate of friendship post-election is not shut through bitterness and acrimonious campaigns,” Oba Balogun added.
Speaking earlier, the ADP governorship hopeful said he had been running away from politics for a long time but caved in to pressure.
This, he said, was in realisation of the need to offer his quota, based on his wide range of experience and exposure, adding that, from what he has seen around, there was a lot to do to make the state better.
“We can do better than what we are seeing presently. Why should we be building motor parks when we have classrooms that are not conducive for effective and efficient learning?”
“Why, in this age should we be powering street light with power generators when solar power is the in-thing across the globe?,” Yusuf, a retired banking guru asked?”
The Oyo ADP governorship hopeful disclosed that three critical segments of the society would have to be given the desired attention for proper development to take place.
The three critical segments, he said, comprised the aged, women and the youths.
“While the aged, among whom are the traditional rulers, represent our past and from whom we gather wisdom, women are the pillar of any society because it is through them that humanity expands, while the youths represent the future we look unto,” he added.
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