Makinde abandoned allies after election – Ex-Oyo governorship candidate

The governorship candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in the 2019 election in Oyo State, Sharafadeen Alli, on Wednesday accused Governor Seyi Makinde of abandoning his party after it helped him to win the election.

Mr Alli spoke through a statement he personally signed, a copy of which was made available to Premium Times in Ibadan, the state capital.

ZLP was one of the political parties that formed an alliance with Mr Makinde’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to defeat the candidate of the then ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adebayo Adelabu, in the March 9, 2019 election.

Other parties in the coalition were the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The coalition was coordinated by a former governor of the state, Rashidi Ladoja.

But, nine months after the agreement, Mr Alli accused the governor of failure to fulfil his promises to the ZLP.

He said the governor has denied the ZLP political patronage, in alleged repudiation of the agreement between them.

“A man’s word should also be his bond,” Mr Alli said.

“The governor should go into retrospect and review our 2019 political coalition agreement. Our party, the ZLP had been largely abandoned and relegated in the scheme of things, especially political patronage. The governor should seize this moment and do the needful. I wish him the best as he pilots the affairs of our state.”

While commending Mr Ladoja for being a father to all, Mr Alli also prayed that God grant all the traditional rulers in the state: the Alaafin of Oyo; Olubadan of Ibadan; Soun of Ogbomoso and others, more strength to guide their respective domains to continuous peaceful coexistence.

Olufemi Lanlehin, the ADC gubernatorial candidate, had in November accused the governor of failing to fulfil any of the promises made to him as contained in an agreement they reached.

Phone calls and text messages to Taiwo Adisa, the chief press secretary to Mr Makinde, were not responded to.