By Charles Akinbode
The Osun State governor, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, on Thursday flagged off his re-election campaign in Ile-Ife.
At the palace of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, where the governor and his supporters visited before the flag-off, Oyetola declared that Osun was too sophisticated to be governed by a kindergarten politician seeking to experiment with the state.
The governor also described himself as “a man of peace and believer in the fact that politics is not do-or-die affair,” saying he was not interested in ‘fire-for-fire’ approach to win the forthcoming State governorship election.
He said: “I am happy that the Ooni knows that I have good intention to govern this State. I may not be able to buy private jets, but I have all it takes to fix Osun. I don’t have hard currencies to splash around and I don’t believe in fire-for-fire approach, but I am confident of victory in the next governorship election because of the modest achievements of our administration and the wide acceptance from our people in the last three-and-a-half years.
“What we have done across sectors is evident for people to see. We have proved to our people that Osun is in safe hands in view of the equitable distribution of resources that had culminated into the development that our people have been witnessing in the nooks and crannies of the state.
“As you all know, a state like Osun is too sophisticated for kindergarten politicians to govern. It is costly to allow such people experiment with Osun.
“In view of the way we have been managing the meagre resources at our disposal, coupled with the attendant challenges that we have successfully surmounted since assumption of office, it is instructive for discerning minds to know that governance is a serious task that cannot be left in the hands of mediocre.”
Crowd of APC supporters at the Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s re-election campaign in Ile-Ife on Thursday.
The governor praised the people of the state, particularly residents of Ile-Ife for their unflinching support, cooperation and prayers for his administration.
He said their trust in his capacity have been the foundation of his success so far.
Listing some of his administration’s achievements across various sectors, the governor promised that he would not relent in delivering democratic dividends to all and sundry.
Explaining reasons for flaggoing off his re-election campaign in Ile-Ife, he said: “There is no seed we plant in Ife that doesn’t sprout, this explained why we are flagging off our campaign from Ife. We appreciate the people of Ife, we do not joke with this town and we will never stop prioritizing the welfare, wellbeing and overall development of Ife, and indeed the entire Osun.
“We will stop at nothing to ensure that dividends of democracy are equitably spread across the nooks and crannies of the State, just as we have spread our health and infrastructure interventions around, among many other interventions.”
In his remarks, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi, lauded Governor Oyetola for justifying the mandate of Osun people, saying that he had done excellently well across sectors.
Oba Ogunwusi, who described Oyetola as a complete gentleman, highly intelligent and a calculating leader, said what has endeared him to the governor is his demonstrable capacity to govern Osun.
His words: “We thank the governor for doing so much great works with less noise. Quietly but steadily, he has set the state in a progressive path.
“You are doing excellently well, and we pray God Almighty to continue to support your quest to see Osun develop. It is indeed true that your first term had brought so many goodies to citizens and we pray God to grant your desire to serve the State for second term.”
Also, the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Otunba Iyiola Omisore, who hails from Ife, charged his kinsmen to show appreciation through their votes for the many good fortunes that Oyetola had brought to town in particular and Osun in general.
According to him: “Ife is regarded as our source and that is why we are flagging off our Party’s campaign from Ife. If we have been trusted that much and regarded as deserving of this honour, we must not disappoint. We must show appreciation, not just for this gesture but for other good fortunes Governor Oyetola has brought to Ife.
“We assure the governor that we are solidly behind him. We have to show that we are really the source. We have to show that Ife has become the defacto secretariat of APC.”
Earlier, the Chairman of the APC in Osun, Prince Gboyega Famodun, appreciated the people of Ife for their cooperation and support for the Oyetola administration.
He said Oyetola remains the best candidate that will deliver good leadership and progress for Osun.
He said: “This is the Party and the Governor that can assure our progress. Others who are parading themselves as governorship candidates have nothing to offer the state.”
In his welcome address, the Senate spokesman and the Director-General of the Osun APC Campaign Council, Senator Ajibola Basiru, described the decision to flag off the campaign in Ife as symbolic and strategic, saying the good works of Governor Oyetola and the prayers he has received from Ife will earn him victory in the July 16 governorship election.
