- says Osun is peaceful, violence was over-stressed
- as he casts his vote in Iragbiji
As members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun trooped out on Saturday to vote for their preferred aspirants in the party’s governorship primary election, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola has expressed confidence that he would emerge victorious in the ongoing exercise.
The Governor who applauded members of the party for turning out in large number said, “losing was not an option for a man commissioned by God for an assignment.”
Oyetola spoke shortly after he cast his vote at Ward 1, Iragbiji in Boripe Local Government Area of the State.
He lauded Osun people for conducting themselves peacefully, saying that the peaceful conduct of the election had testified to the fact that Osun remains the most peaceful State in the country.
The Governor noted that news of violence making the rounds were mere speculations and that the peaceful conduct of the exercise had laid to rest fears of possible violence.
This followed rumours in the build-up to the State’s primary election of possible onslaught by the members of the splinter group within the party called TOP.
The group, comprising loyalists of immediate past governor and current Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, had produced two aspirants Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, who was a former Secretary to the State Government, and Hon. Lasun Yusuff, a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. But Adeoti was preferred by Aregbesola.
Oyetola however appealed to citizens across the State to maintain peace and decorum, adding that elections should not be a battle.
“By the grace of God, I will emerge victorious. To us, losing is not an option for a man commissioned by God for an assignment.
“I just want to appeal to all our people across the State to maintain peace. Election process should not be a battlefield or a do-or-die affair. Let everyone exercise his/her tight to choose in determining who represents them at the party level and ultimately at the general elections.
“So far so good, I think this process has gone well contrary to the speculation of violence. We have been in contact with a number of places and we have received positive signals of peace.
“Really, I don’t see why choosing a candidate to represent the party should be a thing of violence”, he said.
