PDP accuses Oyetola of refusing to approve venues for mega rally

…produce evidence of your application, says Oyetola’s aide

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has accused Governor Gboyega Oyetola of refusing to approve the venue for the planned mega rally of its governorship candidate, Ademola Adeleke.

Addressing a press conference in Osogbo on Wednesday, the party’s Caretaker Committee Chairman, Mr Adekunle Akindele, said the state government refused to approve venues it formally applied for to host its mega rally slated for next week.

He said: “We wish to inform Nigerians about the intolerant posture of Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola-led APC government in Osun State.

“As you may be aware, our candidate in the July 16 governorship election in Osun State, has crisscrossed the length and breadth of Osun State, with the breakdown of his manifestos for the good people of the state.

“As expected, our party in the state alongside the national campaign council is prepared to cap the statewide campaigns with a mega rally slated for next week. But to our dismay, the state government under the watch of Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola has declined to approve the use of venues formally sought for the rally.

“All efforts to make Oyetola-led government come to the realistic terms of the fact that government properties in Osun State belong to the people of the state, has fallen on deaf hears.

“It is absurd that a state governor hired as a tenured custodian of state infrastructures would have such effrontery as to arrogate and administer the properties as personal estates. This to us, is strange in a fledging democracy as ours.

“We want to say we have options as stakeholders in the affairs of Osun State to hold the rally but the state government also have option to be reasonable in managing the state at a time like this, to avoid unnecessary chaos.”

Reacting to the allegation, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ismail Omipidan said accusation of the major opposition party was false.

Omipidan said the PDP was peddling lies and challenged the party to produce copies of its applications for the venue.

“Everyone already knows that PDP is rich in peddling lies and falsehood. If they are actually telling the public the truth, they should produce evidence of the said applications for the venues,” Omipidan said.