THE All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo state, weekend, came hard again on Governor Seyi Makinde over his utterances against Engineer Rauf Olaniyan, his erstwhile deputy, describing the development as not only unfortunate and shameful but also least expected from a sitting Executive Governor of a state.
It will be recalled that Makinde, who featured on a radio programme named: “State Affairs” anchored by a popular on-air-personality, Edmund Obilo, made some startling revelation on why he moved against his former deputy, Olaniyan whom he got impeached by the state House of Assembly on July 18, 2022 and replaced immediately with Barrister Bayo Lawal.
Oyo APC, in a statement authorized by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, however, said Makinde deserved condemnation for what it described as “an act of Executive recklessness coming from a power drunk and vindictive character who found himself in power by default.
“It is most uncharitable for a governor to have sponsored the removal of somebody who shared a joint ticket with him midway to their tenure of office over hear-says and unsubstantiated allegations of disloyalty and corruption.
“How can a governor say that he went for his deputy’s head and got him impeached because he had been told that the latter consulted some marabouts over his political future? Is it not ridiculous for a University graduate of Electrical Engineering like Governor Makinde to claim he was inflicted with Covid-19 through magic?
“It is now crystal clear that the story about Governor Makinde contracting Covid-19 in 2020 was scripted and acted for the purpose of getting an alibi to hang his then deputy even though we raised some questions, at that time, to invalidate the claims made by him, Makinde, because we knew certain things did not add up. However, the World Health Organisation, WHO, may have to visit Governor Makinde and learn new things about how Covid-19 could be contracted since he has revealed that he personally got it through magic.
“Furthermore, the whole world is interested in knowing more about how Engineer Olaniyan who was not allowed to have anything doing with the state treasury could have been involved in any case of corruption or financial malpractice to validate the allegation of connivance with an unnamed contractor who handled the ill-conceived renovation of his official Quarters.
“Makinde should also be told in clear terms that we are aware of all he did to commission a popular shady character in Ibadan for the purpose of giving false revelation against Olaniyan over the same matter while the day of reckoning is fast approaching.”
The party, therefore, sympathised with Olaniyan for being made a victim by the same man who effortlessly ditched virtually all the people that helped him to win the 2019 gubernatorial poll.
“We salute him, Olaniyan, for the rare display of courage, patience and maturity throughout the period of 38 months which his travails lasted.
“As a matter of matter, Oyo state could have been made to experience another round of political unrest and tension if the well-cultured former deputy governor had wanted to fight back or used his own connection too to resist the injustice meted out to him but he chose to remain calm during and after the whole drama.” Sadare added.
