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“I am talking to former governor Ladoja on the need to come together – all opposition – to form a coalition in the 2019 election. It was a coalition that helped him defeat Lam Adesina in 2003. For me, that is the route to go. Yes, we have our differences but we can sit down to resolve all of them.”
Those were the words of Engr. Seyi Makinde, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Oyo State in the 2015 election.
Makinde made the disclosure on Saturday during an interview on Impact Business Radio, a local radio station in Ibadan.
He disclosed that a similar coalition move was made in the build up to the 2015 election but it failed because both former governors Rashidi Ladoja (Accord) and Adebayo Alao-Akala (Labour) were unable to agree on who should be the candidate of the coalition.
Makinde, however, said he would support any candidate that the coalition produces if he was not favoured.
He vowed to rebuild the health and education sectors as well as provide enabling environment for job creation for youths if elected.
According to him, it was a coalition of like-minded groups and individuals that made Ladoja defeat the late Alh. Lam Adesina in 2003.
On his ability to govern Oyo State, Makinde said he established a multi-million dollar business 20 years ago when he was just 29 years old, adding that the company has been progressing since then. He said his position as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company has afforded him the opportunity to make tough decisions in the last 20 years for the survival of his company. He said he was up to the task of governing the state if elected.