SOJI AJIBOLA, Ibadan
African Democratic Congress has described as untrue its rumoured endorsement of Governor Seyi Makinde for a second term.
The party in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Barr Bimpe Adelowo said it was true that Oyo State chapter of the ADC towards 2019 governorship elections, with the approval of the national headquarters of the party and other political parties in the Oyo State, entered into a coalition arrangement with PDP which was rewarded by the emergence of Governor Seyi Mankinde as the governor of Oyo State.
The statement reads, “The said coalition arrangements by the agreement imposed mutual obligations on the coalescent parties. Such obligations include stepping down the governorship ambition of the other coalescent parties’ candidates for the candidate of PDP to form a strong force that can defeat the incumbent party in the elections; while the beneficiary party has corresponding obligation of giving some slot for appointments to the other coalescent parties.
“ADC Oyo State in accepting offer to form the coalition government under the leadership of Governor Mankinde donated some of its members to serve in various capacities as agreed under the coalition agreement and we acknowledge the fact that our party has not withdrawn from the coalition agreement but we have not taken any position on going into coalition arrangement with any political party in 2023 general elections nor endorse ambition of anyone let alone declaring support for the 2nd term bid of Governor Mankinde.
“We want to say categorically here that the purported endorsement or support for the Governor Mankinde’ s 2nd term bid has never been in the plan of the national headquarters of our great party. Our party in Oyo State wouldn’t have declared support for the Governor Mankinde’s 2nd term bid.
“Our party is a political party with an open platform for any of its members to express and realize their ambition of becoming anything including governorship ambition.
“We want to further say at this juncture that ADC is not a group but a political party that has procedures and processes of making decision and there has not been a time or forum where a proposal, for the adoption or endorsement of Governor Mankinde as sole candidate of our party in 2023 governorship Elections, was presented, discussed and resolved.
“We acknowledge that some of our members in their exuberance and excitement over the gesture of Governor Seyi Mankinde in fulfilling part of the coalition agreement, may have expressed their desires to support 2nd term bid of Governor Mankinde, such individuals’ view does not translate to the collective decision of the party and it cannot be.
“Any member of our party who may have expressed his/her support for Governor Mankinde’s 2nd term bid only did so in the exercise of his/her right of expression.
“ADC Oyo State is pleased to offer its members to serve under the Governor Mankinde’s led Coalition Government but such member or members’ view/desire will not certainly represent the position of our great party.”