A former governor of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja, on Saturday said he would not contest for the governorship seat in the state again.
Mr. Ladoja, a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, said he has had enough shots at the governorship seat and he would not contest in 2019 for ‘personal reasons’.
The former governor, who is also the Osi Olubadan of Ibadan land, left the Accord Party, AP, recently to re-join the PDP. He is also contesting for the national chairmanship position of the opposition party.
Speaking on an Ibadan-based radio station, Fresh FM, on Saturday, the former governor said he was inching closer to becoming the Olubadan, a position he said he so much covets.
He, therefore, stressed that he would rather become the Olubadan than pursue another governorship ambition in the state.
Mr. Ladoja also said he wants to leave the stage for other politicians because he has done enough in Oyo politics.
The PDP chieftain ruled Oyo State as governor between 2003 and 2007 on the platform of the PDP. He was however impeached under controversial circumstance in 2006 after he fell out with the then godfather of Oyo politics, Lamidi Adedibu.
After eleven months of legal battle, with the deputy governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, acting as governor, Mr. Ladoja was reinstated as governor.
In 2010, Mr. Ladoja defected from the then ruling PDP, citing lack of internal democracy in the party. He later floated Accord Party and contested the governorship seat of the state on the platform of the party in 2011 and 2015, losing the seat on both occasions to the incumbent governor, Abiola Ajimobi.
On Saturday, the former governor said he was reluctant to contest in 2015 but supporters of Accord Party compelled him to join the race because of what they described as his goodwill and widespread acceptance among the people.
On his reason for seeking to be PDP’s national chairman, the Ibadan High Chief said he intends to correct the wrongs of the past and put the party on a strong footing ahead of future elections.
The former governor also attributed the victory of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the last presidential election to absence of internal democracy in the then ruling PDP, adding that the notable politicians who defected to the APC from PDP had reasons to because they were not fairly treated.
