The lawmaker representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Shina Peller, may defect from the All Progressives Congress to enable him contest the Oyo North Senatorial District in 2023 on the platform of another political party.
Our correspondent gathered that Peller might announce his new political platform before the deadline for the submission of candidates’ lists to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Peller and three other aspirants had rejected the outcome of the primary election in which the serving Senator Fatai Buhari was declared the winner.
But at the Oke-Ogun General Assembly held on Saturday at Ago Are in Atisbo Local Government Area, monarchs and their subjects lamented the alleged political marginalisation of the region and the underdevelopment of the area. They urged indigenes of the area to contest governorship and senatorial elections.
Some of those present at the event were Aare of Ago-Are, Oba Michael Oyetunji; Aare of Ofiki, Oba Adeoye Oyetunji and Oniro of Otu, Oba Sunday Adepoju and the Onjo of Okeho, Oba Rafiu Mustapha as well as hundreds of youths.
They resolved to support any politician nominated as the Oyo North Senatorial District candidate on the platform of any political party in the 2023 election.
The Oke-Ogun people in attendance said it was unimaginable that they were being marginalised in Oyo North Senatorial District by Ogbomoso with just three local government areas as against Oke-Ogun which has 10 local. government areas out of the 13 LGAs that make up the district.
Peller while responding to question on if he was ready to defect to another political party to contest the senatorial election said the people of Oke Ogun had been strategising about that and that he would follow whatever they say.
He said some political parties had been coming around to offer their platforms but stressed that he would abide by any decision his people arrive at concerning the election.
He said, “For me, I have made up my mind to follow my people. If I belong to a political party that has failed to listen to the cry of my people, that has failed to understand their clamour, that has failed to give my people a fair chance- there are three local government areas from Ogbomoso which has about 20, 000 votes and Oke-Ogun has 10 local government areas with about 100,000 votes.
“Ogbomoso has already done two terms and wants to do the third time. The people of Oke-Ogun are saying there is no going to be third time, then I don’t have a choice. I decided to come into politics to fight for my people and I will always listen to them.
“Our royal fathers are also present here and they have all said this is the time to put the interest of Oke-Ogun first and I align completely with this position.
“It is not my decision anymore, it is going to be the decision of my people. Our political system has a process and INEC has a time political parties must send in the list of their candidates and we have political leaders in Oke-Ogun that are putting their heads together. There are different political parties that have been coming to speak to us to see how they can help us. If such opportunity comes to the people of Oke-Ogun then I will definitely follow the people of Oke-Ogun to make sure that I am there to fight for what is ours.
“The people of Oke-Ogun are agitating that the region should have a say in the scheme of things. They are sending a strong message to the political parties that we have because they think that the political system is not being fair and not just to the region.
“In democracy, the majority must have their way and minority will have a say but that is not the case where it affects Oke-Ogun. For 2023 elections, what they have come to say today is that they will put the interest of Oke- Ogun first.”
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