One of the contestants in the Saturday Governorship primary of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Osun, Governor Gboyega Oyetola, has said he will win the contest.
Mr Oyetola, while commending members of the party for turning out in large numbers, said, “losing is not an option for a man commissioned by God for an assignment”.
Mr Oyetola said this while speaking with journalists at his Iragbiji country home, Boripe Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, “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 right 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 speculations 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.
Mr Oyetola also commended the party members for conducting themselves peacefully.
He said that the peaceful conduct of the primary election testified to the fact that Osun remains the most peaceful state in the country.
The governor said that the news of violence making the rounds were mere speculations.
Mr Oyetola, however, appealed to the citizens across the state to maintain peace and decorum, saying that elections should not be a battle.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two other main aspirants battling for the governorship ticket of the party are: Moshood Adeoti, a former Secretary to the State Government, and Lasun Yusuf, a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
NAN also reports that the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, also the immediate past Governor in the state, had declared his support for Mr Adeoti, as his preferred candidate to fly the party’s ticket.
Mr Oyetola is seeking to win the party’s ticket to actualise his second term bid.
The moves in the camps of the two leaders had heightened tension in the state.(NAN)
