*Reminds APC of 1983 crisis in the State
By Folorunso Alagbede, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday described as reckless and empty boast, the statement made by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Umar Ganduje that the ruling party will ‘capture’ Ondo State during the November 16 governorship election.
The party, which said this through its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, knocked Ganduje while speaking with Journalists at its national secretariat in Abuja.
The leading opposition party told Ganduje and the ruling APC that the people of South West have a very rich history as they are politically educated as well as know what they want.
According to Ologunagba “I just feel I should have this conversation to react to the reckless and irresponsible statement by the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress which was credited to him in Ondo State, wherein he said that the APC is set to capture Ondo and then use that as a gateway to capture Oyo state and Osun states.
“And these are the statements that we have seen over the months, talking about totalitarianism and one party state in this country.
“If you look at the dictionary meaning of capture, and I just checked it and it says, to take by force or strategy, take prisoners. So what he’s saying is that he’s going to take the South West State and its people as prisoners of war. So for us, it is troubling,” he said.
Sounding a note of warning to Ganduje and the ruling APC, Ologunagba said ” the people of South West have a very rich history, a people that are very strong willed, that are politically educated and they know what they want.
“For anybody who is a student of history, will recognize clearly that the South West has always been a baston for democratic right.
“In the old Oyo empire, there were controls for the Oba, the Alaafin of Oyo that whenever he is acting away from the people, they can tell him to go and commit suicide as a control.
“So for anybody, Ganduje for that matter, to come into Ondo State and say those reckless things, call for the attention of Nigerians and indeed international community as he is a threat to democracy.”
Going down the memory lane, Ologunagba said “in 1983 you will recall, when the recklessness of the then NPN continued in this manner, and unfortunately, it looks like history is repeating itself, when they tried to impose Omoboriowo as governor of Ondo State by rigging election.
“The consequences of that can again be traced to what brought that Republic to an end in 1983. So we are warning the APC, this is a warning directly to Ganduje.
“And so, to Ganduje, he should be careful about South West, because he could be declared as a ‘personal non grata’ in the South West for these recklessness.
“The APC should know, and I’m sure some of the leaders of APC recognize that and they should stay away from Ondo State. The election of November 16 in Ondo State is a different ball game entirely.
“The people of Ondo state are ready, they are set to vote the PDP and any attempt, haven regards to the history of Ondo people, you can’t cow them, you cannot suppress them from whatever they believe in.
“So recognizing that, the APC should watch it, and they should know that, we do not take threats and the idea of capture. We’ve never been captured, we are not prisoners.
“If Ganduje was captured, which I think from the history they were, he can reflect that in his own area, but not in southwest.
“And it’s actually a clear signal that the APC should stay clear for Ondo State and allow the State to have a free and fair election”, he said.
