The Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Nureni Aderemi Adeniran has revealed why he jettisoned his ambition to contest the governorship seat in the 2023 general elections and declared for Oyo South Senatorial District seat.
Dr. Adeniran disclosed that he shelved his ambition for governor to allow Governor Seyi Makinde to consolidate on the good work he has started.
The SUBEB Chairman, who declared interest to contest a seat in the Senate under umbrella of the People Democratic Party Oyo South said that his objective for joining the race for the senatorial seat of Oyo South is to provide quality representation and establish a robust feedback mechanism for the benefit of the people of the senatorial district.
Dr. Adeniran made the declaration while meeting with Chairman and other members of the state executive of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the party Secretariat, Molete, Ibadan.
According to SUBEB boss, “I am coming out to contest to avail the people of the senatorial district of my service to provide the quality representation and to let them see and establish feedback mechanism which supposed to be between the constituents and the legislator and to also contribute to the growth of infrastructure in the senatorial district so as to assist what the state government is already doing in the area of education, health and the area of infrastructure facilities and to also maintain the fact that the party members, the party leaders that the vehicles through which we get to the position of authority during election are not jettison.”
In his position on why he shelved his governorship ambition, the SUBEB boss explained that he took the decision in order to allow the state Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde to consolidate on the good work he has started through his famous policy “Road Map to Accelerated Development” to take Oyo State from the status of poverty to prosperity.
“Thank you very much, first and foremost about issue of the governorship aspiration, don’t forget that I aspire for governorship in 2019 under the ADC and I actually got the ticket through the process, the only process that was embark upon by the party then the ADC then at the end of the day the whole thing did not work out due to certain inadequacy within the party.
“I decided to team up with his Excellency Engr. Seyi Makinde, who at that time already got the ticket PDP, having got the PDP ticket and I teamed up with him I already conceded to him as a governor and as my leader. I worked along with others seriously for the success of the party in the 2019 elections.
“And when that happened Engr. Seyi Makinde entrusted me with responsibility, position of trust like the Chief Collation Agent for the party for the Presidential election and also for the Governorship election in 2019 which eventually the PDP won the two elections in Oyo State. And with that he found me worthy to be appointed Chairman of the Swearing Committee before the enthronement of the government where eventually appointed me as the Executive Chairman of Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, which to a very large extent shows that he has some kind of degree of trust and confidence in my ability, capacity and in person, and as a result of that I have to agree to the fact that he is my leader, principal, whatever he is interested in is no go area for me as a loyal party person and since we all wanted Engr. Seyi Makinde to continue as the governor, the issue of anybody contesting for governorship does not arise in any form because we want him to consolidate on the good work he has started through his famous policy, Road Map to Accelerate Development which everybody is seeing as transforming the state from poverty to prosperity.”
Speaking about his likely collision with the current occupier of the Oyo South Senatorial Seat, Senator Kola Balogun, Dr. Adeniran revealed that the decision of who flys the party ticket at election is to determine by the party, adding that his relationship with Senator Balogun is cordial.
His words, “I am not going to determine that, I have taken my case to the people, I mean the party members, the party leaders, those that will determine who they want to fly the flag of the party in the coming election, we are all brothers and sisters within the party. The present occupier of the office is my very good brother, we have a very good relationship, we were appointed commissioners together during former Governor Akala’s government and we have been relating well and the time he was contesting, we worked together to ensure his victory. This is democracy, and in a democracy everybody is free and at the end of the day we will all rally and come together and prosecute the election as a political party.”
Dr. Adeniran, while reiterating his determination, said that he has consulted all relevant stakeholders across the nine local governments that made up the Senatorial District. He added that he had also secured the consent of the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde on his interest to contest Oyo South Senatorial seat.
“Don’t forget that I am serving under him, he is my principal and for the party, he is the leader of the party, it will be against the service and out of point for me not to have informed him of my interest. I have informed him and as a leader, as a father of all he said I am free like any other person is free to aspire, the people, the party members will decide at the appropriate time without any problem or rancor.
“Earlier before now, I have made consultations across the nine local governments of this senatorial district, I have met with the party leaders, I have met with the executive and the wards’ chairmen in all these local governments and I am going to further to meet with the party members at their various local government meetings in line with the programmes that have been earmarked. As you also know that the party has already said that collection of forms has commenced so any moment from now, we will also go further to purchase the form to contest for the primaries in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Oyo South Senatorial District.” Dr. Nureni Adeniran said.
The SUBEB boss assured that despite the fact that PDP chance at the coming elections is bright, however, said ”as a political party and as somebody that understands the process of election we not take things for chances, we will not take anybody for granted, we are going to do our work as if we are in the opposition. I want to assure that going by the performance and the achievement of the present governor of Oyo State PDP has a very good chance in oyo state to win the next election but we will not on the account of that jettison people or believing that its just for the take, no we will work the way we work even much more than what we did in 2019.”
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