By Daud Olatunji
The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party in Ogun State, Tony Ojeshina, has stepped down and endorsed the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, ahead of the March 18 election.
Ojeshina said this on Thursday, during a press briefing held in Abeokuta.
The SDP candidate announced that he has stepped down to support the governorship ambition of Adebutu.
According to him, Adebutu’s vision tallies with my own terms of securing a better future anchored on sustainable development and social justice for the residents of the state.
Ojeshina said, “Fellow citizens of Ogun State, the cardinal vision of our great party, Social Democratic Party (SDP), is to rebirth a new State through social justice and sustainable development.
“In my published manifesto as the Ogun State Governorship candidate of the party, we outlined our people-centred programme around making Ogun a new model State.
“Remove our dear state from the list of misgoverned and impoverished states, through simplified and transparent governance processes, with the sole purpose of improving the quality and standard of living of our people.
“Establish Ogun State as a model of sustainable and inclusive development, independent of Federal allocations.
“Following our extensive campaign across the nooks and crannies of the state over the last 10 months, interacting with the real people of Ogun, it is clear that this vision is well aligned with the true yearning of the people and goes beyond the aspiration of one individual or political party. The vision is firmly non-negotiable.
The SDP governorship candidate said there was a need to collaborate in order to take the people’s power from the cabal at the government house.
“Moreover, to take the people’s power from the cabal at Oke-Mosan, there is a need to collaborate across the political divide.
“Consequently, our great party (SDP) has agreed to work with PDP and other political parties during the gubernatorial election of March 18, 2023, to wrestle power from the current deceptive government of APC.
“We sincerely believe the synergy between SDP and PDP will usher in a prosperous time for our people, anchored on the lofty vision of making Ogun an industrious model state in Nigeria, based on the ethos of Omoluabi.
“I hereby step down from the gubernatorial race to support the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Oladidpupo Adebutu as the governor of the state.
“We, therefore enjoin all Ogun State registered voters, as well as supporters and members of our great party, to vote for PDP on 18 March 2023,” he stated.
He, however, asked the electorate to vote for other SDP candidates at the state assembly elections.
Corroborating him, the deputy chairman of the party in the state, Shola Coker, said the party’s state working committee believed in the candidacy of Adebutu as one that would serve the interest of residents.
Source: The Punch
