What happened in Ekiti can’t repeat itself in Osun – Aregbesola’s campaign chief

Aregbesola said if Omisore emerges as the candidate of the PDP that he would just go to sleep.  How do you relate that with what is going on now?All human beings, including politicians speak in hyperbole. So when Aregbesola said he is going to sleep if Omisore emerges as the candidate of the PDP, he […]

Aregbesola said if Omisore emerges as the candidate of the PDP that he would just go to sleep.  How do you relate that with what is going on now?
All human beings, including politicians speak in hyperbole. So when Aregbesola said he is going to sleep if Omisore emerges as the candidate of the PDP, he was not being literal because no matter how weak your opponent is, you cannot go to sleep. Even, with your eyes opened, in Nigeria, your mandate can be stolen, how much less when you go to sleep. I was not allowed to vote for myself in 2007. Therefore as Director General of this campaign, I must make sure that never again would anyone be deprived the sovereignty of casting vote for whoever he or she wants, even if it is for our opponent. So that is why we are going round educating the people not to sell their votes for a pot of porridge. We know without  a shadow of doubt that of all the major characters in the PDP, the weakest that could have been nominated to face Governor Aregebesola is indeed  Omisore. You must not forget that less than four years ago, we had an election in which erstwhile Governor Oyinlola, former Governor Adeleke, Senator Omisore contested for opportunities to go to the Senate. Of all of them, Adeleke performed the best; he won in two local governments in Ede, and came second. Oyinlola did not win his local government because I won in his local government, Odo-Otin. At least, Oyinlola won in his own ward. Of the three of them,  Omisore only won his polling booth. It was in his constituency throughout Osun State that we had violence in 2011. Despite the threats and wanton display of intimidation, our youngest candidate for the Senate, Babajide Omoworare trounced Omisore mercilessly and I have no doubt that in the coming election, Omisore would meet his waterloo again.
Aregbesola, who often preaches peace and harmony, seems to be resorting to self-help by going about with some youth known as “State Boys”; why?
With unemployment raging all over Nigeria now, you will know that you have no choice than to find a creative way to arrest the attention of many of these young unemployed youths. Part of the efforts in doing that is the OYES programme, where people are brought in and paid some stipends and also trained so that they may have a means of livelihood to live on their own without permanently looking for government job.
What has your party learnt from the defeat it suffered in Ekiti on June 21?
I am glad few days ago when a newspaper wrote a fantastic story on Fayemi’s performance. Everybody had said he did well. If that is the case, it is either that the election was stolen or that Ekiti people made an error. If they made an error, I guarantee you, it would not take six months before they would come to the realisation that they made an error. This is because Ekiti people are learned, intelligent and the chicken would always come home to roost.
I don’t believe that what happened in Ekiti would repeat itself in Osun.Let’s cast our minds to three years ago when we had the election of 2011. Osun was wise enough to know that choosing Jonathan was a total tragedy and you have seen what he has done in the last three years. Are we better off in infrastructure, security, national cohesion or in the area of rule of law? Osun demonstrated in 2011 that even if Adamawa, would not vote for their own son, Osun is wise enough to know that they can make the right choice. That is why we are supremely confident that by the grace of God, Osun people would make the best choice on the 9th of August if the election is free and fair.