The ancient city of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Wednesday witnessed a complete standstill as PDP loyalists staged what they tagged freedom walk for the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The freedom walk, which took off at exactly 10am at the Total Garden Roundabout, Ibadan, headed towards Agodi Gate Area through Oje, Beere, and eventually terminated at the historical Mapo Hill where the organisers addressed the mammoth crowd.
The walk was led by the trio of former Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide; former Minister of Power and Steel, Elder Wole Oyelese and former Oyo State Deputy Governor, Barrister Hazeem Gbolarumi.
Addressing the mammoth crowd at the centre of popular Mapo Hill, Oloye Akinjide said the entire Oyo State is for PDP, urging the state residents to vote all PDP candidates across board to ensure flow of dividends of democracy. She added that when Atiku becomes president, Oyo State will be number one beneficiary of the former Vice President’s presidency.
She however warned that people should decline listening to anyone who wants to denigrate or talk down on the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, referring to members of the PDP G-5. It would be recalled that the G-5 governors have been at loggerhead with the party’s presidential candidate, demanding the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.
“Tomorrow, we shall flag off Governor Seyi Makinde’s second term campaign, but some visitors are coming and if they want to disparage Atiku, we shall say ‘No’. She stated.
Also former Deputy Governor of the state, Barrister Hazeem Gbolarumi pleaded with electorate to vote Atiku Abubakar and avoid fighting anybody, stressing that there was no reason for PDP members to fight one another as, according to him, only people who was trying to prevent them from supporting PDP deserved to be fought.
“In whatever party you find yourself, your personal interest should be paramount. In this PDP, we shall not labour in vain.” Gbolarumi stated.
Elder Oyelese said that only Atiku Abubakar has wherewithal to rule the country out of all presidential candidates. He lamented that there was hunger and suffering in the country, stressing that the country does not deserve an apprentice president who would use the first term to learn the rope. He added that Atiku had leant leadership from former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Ogun State PDP Governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu who was represented at the gathering also preached peace during and after the 2023 general elections, while PDP youth leader in Oyo State also condemned insecurity, banditry and terrorism that has bedeviled the country in the last seven and a half years.
The PDP campaign coordinator in the South, Engineer Tunji Adeniji who represented Atiku Abubakar used the occasion to highlight the agenda of the PDP presidential candidate to include security of lives and properties, unity of the country, education, restructuring and resuscitation of the country’s economy.
Engineer Adeniji said Ibadan, being the headquarters of the South West, is very important to the victory of Atiku Abubakar in the forthcoming presidential election.
He described Atiku as the The unifier who would put a stop to nepotism, tribalism and religious discrimination when he wins the presidential election.
He berated APC-led government for the poor economy, saying gone were those day when American dollar was equivalent to 88 kobo. He promised that Atiku would open all land borders and ensure devolution of power to the state while ensuring local government autonomy.