Who Is Afraid Of Oladele Bankole-Balogun?

John Osaveshe

Events of recent weeks in the party in Akoko-Edo is very very disturbing. The clamour to zone out a person for whatever reason is totally against the spirit of the constitution, party guidelines and the electoral act.

The attempt by one person to create an un-level field if not checked will cause great harm to the party. Oladele Bankole Balogun is the Man the whole Akoko-Edo is looking up to whether APC or PDP because he has the profile and vast network and resources to prosecute the campaign. 

He is well known far much more than those sitting in judgment over him and those aspiring. A word is enough for the wise.

We should stop distorting facts and figures of the situation in the local government. All attempts must be geared towards a united approach and a level playing ground. He has consistently polled the highest votes of any PDP candidate for the house. He has pursued vigorously the party’s mandate to every court in the land including the Supreme Court. He has traversed this local government methodically.

His contribution to the welfare growth and stability of  the party is unquestionable, so it beggars belief why there is a concerted effort by one man to turn democracy on its head. 

The whole world knows he won the 2015 elections and that is history. The world knows how Adjoto and other accomplices denied the PDP of its mandate. That same man is looking for the same thing. Where is the justice?

In 2019, the anti-party stance is evident in the ward to ward results. This is a direct indictment on the leadership in those wards. However, this is not a time to cast aspersions but to learn from the past.

The argument for zoning is baseless and undemocratic. Even if we were to accept but not concede zoning, the North has produced 4 Rep-members in recent times whilst the south only 1.  Similarly, the North has spent 16 unfettered years  whilst the South will complete 12 years next year.

Each time a southerner in the PDP contests, there is always healthy opposition from the North. So the Golden question is why can that not be replicated NOW? 

We are appealing to all to take a long term view of the situation and not do anything that will put the delicate balance in Akoko-Edo in jeopardy just because of hatred of one person or groups of persons.

We will still have to fight a general election together so let us have a free and open contest because our objective is to defeat APC, not ourselves.