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Political alliances ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Oyo State continued on Thursday with 15 opposition political parties in the state adopting the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bayo Adelabu, as their sole candidate.
This increases the number of political party adoptions in Adelabu’s kitty. He already has members of the Accord Party, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) and a part of the Unity Forum of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC) on his side.
His major opponent in the race, Seyi Makinde of the PDP has the leaders and governorship candidates of ADC, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and New Progressive Movement (NPM).
On Thursday, three parties namely Save Nigeria Congress (SNC) led by its governorship candidate Awolusi Oluwasegun, Young Democratic Party (YDP) led by its chairman Chris Ayantoye and National Conscience Party (NCP) led by its governorship candidate Mr Micheal Oloyade announced that they were adopting Adelabu and setting out to work for his victory at the polls on Saturday.
Newspeakonline gathered that the remaining 12 political parties have written to the state Chairman of APC, Chief Akin Oke, to convey their readiness to adopt the APC candidate. SSignatories in the letter dated March 6, 2019, include: Mr Abimbola Azeez of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN); Otunba A. Fagbemi of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM); United Progressive Party (UPP), Hon Sunday Badejo; Grassroots Development Party of Nigeria (GDPN), Mr Abass Oladimeji; and Young Democratic Party (YDP), Mr Chris Ayanniyi.
Others are the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC), Hon Akin Adelekan; Independent Democrats (ID), Chief Wasiu Are; Mr Bolaji Olugbode of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), as well as the chairmen of Mass Action Joint Alliance (MAJA), Nigeria Elements Progressive Party (NEPP), Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), Re-Build Nigeria Party (RBNP) and Democratic People’s Party (DPP).
Explaining why the SNC went for Adelabu, Awolusi said Adelabu is a distinguished character with an understanding of administration and financial prudence. He described Adelabu as a man of wisdom, skill, vision and passion for the continued growth and development of the State.
Oloyade of the NCP said Adelabu’s insight and capability to move the state forward was the reason why the party pitched its tent with the former CBN governor.
In his response, Adelabu promised to ensure that the adopting parties’ confidence in him will not be taken for granted. He vowed that the socio-econmic wellbeing of the people of the state will top the list of his priorities if he is elected governor.