- Allegedly Considering Move To New Party
By Abiola Olawale
The crisis rocking the Oyo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepens over the weekend as Governor Seyi Makinde reportedly exited the official WhatsApp platform of the party, following argument with some party members.
The governor reportedly exited the WhatsApp platform after confrontation from the Publicity Secretary of the party, Akeem Olatunji, over a viral video of an attack on the Ayete comments by some suspected herders.
Following the exit of the Governor from the party’s WhatsApp, it is being reported that Makinde may dump PDP as he is not happy with the happenings at the state and zonal levels of the party.
It was also reported that the outburst that happened on the party’s WhatsApp platform and the ongoing feud between the Governor and some PDP excos in the state could force Makinde to join a new political party even as the PDP Southwest zonal congress nears.
Olatunji was reported to have posted a viral video on the official WhatsApp group, demanding the response of the Governor. He posted, “This video has gone viral but the authority needs to confirm the claim. It’s very urgent to address the message.”
While reacting to the statement made by Olatunji, Makinde, referred to the statement as immature.
He said, “Every time some idiots make a video, the government must respond… I don’t get it really… you need mature people to make meaningful contributions on your platform.”
The governor also reacted to another story which was posted on the WhatsApp platform, regarding allegations of violence at the ongoing Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC), membership registration. Olatunji while commenting on the violence said, “Several injured as APC members fight over registration in Oyo State.
In his response Makinde asked; “What is the relevance of this on the PDP official platform?” Following his comment, he went further to exit the platform.
Following the exit of the Governor, some of his loyalists followed suit and exited the WhatsApp platform.
Members who dumped the party include, Basa Sarumi, Akeem Olatunji, Bisi Ilaka, Yinka Adeniyi, Kehinde Akande, Dare Adeleke, Said Sangonyin, Otunba Seye, Abayomi Oshin, Kunle Yusuf, among others.
Shocked by the intolerance of the Governor, and his loyalists who followed his footsteps, Honorable Samuel Okunade, the Chairman of Orelope Local Government of Oyo State said he was disappointed by the reaction of the Governor.
In his words, “I’m highly disappointed sir, we don’t expect this from you. Leaders who are low on accommodating may have trouble building up goodwill with other people.”
In his defence of Makinde, Kunle Yusuf, Special Adviser to the Governor, said the members should avoid sending fake informations on the WhatsApp platform. In his words, “Please let us stay clear from the issue, we should be careful with the information we share on this
Reacting outside the WhatsApp platform, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, on Sunday, warned against false security alarms in the form of fake audio and video posts on social media in the state.
In his words, “Our attention has been drawn to a grand plot to precipitate unrest in Oyo State through the use of fake news in the social media. This plot seeks to promote false alarms, misinformation and sponsored fake news through audio, video and Facebook messages and it is with a view to making the state ungovernable. As a government, the contents of some of these audio and video releases have been investigated and mostly found to be outright falsehood, baseless claims and products of hate speech, targetted only at discrediting government and inciting people. The Makinde-led administration has risen to the occasion on the issue of insecurity and we are already winning the war against criminality, with several measures rolled out to tackle kidnapping and banditry in Ibarapa and some parts of Oke-Ogun. Efforts have also been made to tame the violent gang wars in Ibadan. However, our admonition goes to members of the public across the state not to panic; do not succumb to the sponsored falsehood, as the state government is working assiduously to arrest the insecurity situation. Similarly, though the governor has made it clear that anyone, who sees something, should say something to the government, members of the public should ensure they are giving truthful and factual information. This has become necessary so that security agents will not be embarking on a wild goose chase, based on wrong information.”
It would be recalled that Makinde, 53, is the current Governor of Oyo State. He assumed office on May 29, 2019 under the platform of the PDP.
