Defection of our governorship candidate will not

From Lateef Dada, Osogbo

The spokesperson of the Obi/Datti campaign organization, Yinusa Tanko, has said that the defection of the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Osun State, Lasun Yusuf, does not affect the chance of the party in the state. He boasted that the people of Osun would vote massively for Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the February general election.

Speaking at a press conference in Osogbo as part of the preparation for the mega rally of the party slated for Saturday (today), Tanko said the former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives dumped the party for a reason best known to him and his exit does not in any way affect Obi/Datti movement from winning the state.

He said: “We have our structure over time. The structure we are talking about are the youths, artisans, NLC, TUC, and pensioners. We’ve galvanized these structures for the battle ahead which is the 2023 general election for Peter Obi.

“We are restructuring our party so that we can have a good outing in Osun. Out of all the presidential contestants, Nigerians trust only Obi, he is the only candidate that is not buying people’s votes. You could see the love expressed by youths and Nigerians who are spending their resources on his campaign.

“Obi has the capacity, character, consistency, compassion, and commitment to nationhood. He has been able to make a mantra from consumption to production. He is the only governor that left N75 billion in the coffers of the state government. Peter Obi’s support group is in large numbers in Osun state and over 71 per cent of Nigerian youths are behind him. We have candidates across the contest. We are not perturbed with anybody decamping, we are going to take decampees too.”

a former Chief of Staff in the state, Yanusa Adamu Dangwani, who will serve as the Council’s Director-General, while Al’ Amin Ibrahim Little and Umar Mustapha Mansaraleta are to serve as the Deputy Director-General and Secretary respectively.

Former Governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, who inaugurated the Presidential Council in the state, explained that the Council would work in synergy with the National Presidential Council

He charged the members of the Council to be good ambassadors of the party at all levels and to serve as the party’s eyes and ears and months at their various political locations.

The occasion was attended by the National Vice Chairman, North-west, Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo; General Habibu Shaabu, former Deputy Governor of the state; Hafiz Abubakar and a one-time speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na Abba

Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchei Ayu, has inaugurated the Caretaker Committee of the party at the zonal levels of the state.