Osun 2018: We won’t miss Adeoti ―Oyetola, APC candidate

The All Progressives Congress, (APC) governorship candidate for Osun state governorship election, Chief  Adegboyega Oyetola has said the immediate past Secretary to Osun State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti exit from the ruling party would not affect his fortune in the September election.

Adeoti who withdrew from the governorship primary held last Friday in Osogbo, Osun state capital had since emerged as the candidate of the Action Democratic Party, (ADP).

Speaking with journalists at the APC national secretariat in Abuja,  the incumbent Osun State Chief of Staff said the process that produced him as the party standard-bearer was free, fair and transparent.

Oyetola disclosed that he has been talking to other aspirants who contested with him for the ticket, but insisted that the defection of Adeoti would not affect his chances even in the latter Osun west senatorial district.

He said: “Well,   SSG is my brother actually, I would have loved he remains in the party but as a matter of choice, he decides to leave the party. There is nothing anybody can do about that.

“But as for the fact that, it might affect my fortune, I don’t think so. One, if you look at the result of that election, I had 127,000 votes. These are purely members of our Party. We are going to have opportunities for other voters.

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“The average usually about 600 or so serious voters, if you look at the percentage of that from members of our Party alone and with the kind of programme I want to run and the fact that people seem to have that level of trust in me, I believe I will have more not only from the APC which is our base, even from the generality of the people.

“So, I wish him well. He is somebody I have some regards for too.  Sometimes politics is like that. You part and meet again. I wish him well.”

The APC candidate said the direct primary option appears to be a better option for selection of candidate,  as against the indirect primary.

“I  don’t see the pain, to be honest. You are talking of comparing two things, direct and indirect. I don’t see the pain. Indirect gives a lot of pains because the chosen few members of the party you are going to pay through your nose. It is like a bazaar, N300, 000, N400,0 00, N500, 000

“So,   it creates an impression of the popularity that may not be there. If you have the money you can buy your way that’s what it means but this, (direct) allows for the participation of all members of the party. There is nothing that is more representative than that.

“I am proud to be a product of direct primary. That shows that I am very popular. There is no pain about that. Sometimes you need to ensure that security is good enough for miscreants that might want to hijack the process. Other than that, there is no pain. It is less cumbersome, it is less expensive and it is very transparent and it doesn’t allow for money bags taking over.  Someone who has the money can come one day and buy their way through and before you know he becomes flag bearer. It is what I recommend to all parties.”