Governor Makinde of Oyo State, on Monday, explained the rationale behind the branding of some campaign vehicles without the picture of the PDP Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The Governor spoke while fielding questions from reporters shortly after signing the Bill on Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo Law 2022.
The event held at the Executive Chamber of the Governors office, Agodi, Secretariat, Ibadan, on Monday.
He noted that branding goes with candidates that are contesting elections together paired, adding, however, that whoever pays for such branding reserves the right to determine the pictures of individuals to be on it.
He said: “The first election is the presidential and national assembly election and ideally, the branding for the national assembly and presidential elections should go together; and then, for my governorship election, it is me and my state assembly candidates that our branding should go together.
“Anyway, whether you have seen the pictures or not, does it take away the fact that our candidate (Atiku) is known? Are you not aware of who our presidential candidate is?”
Makinde further noted that all hope is not lost in the bid to ensure harmony within the fold of the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the forthcoming general election.
Speaking on who the five aggrieved governors of the PDP christened G5-Governors would support for the Presidential election, Governor Makinde expressed hope that some form of alignment will be reached before the election.
Speaking with reporters in a chat, the governor said his colleagues in the G5 including Nyesome Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) are still in talks with the party leadership, adding that some demands have also been placed before them.
He added that it was too early to determine the presidential candidate to support since talks are still ongoing with the party national leadership and stakeholders.
Makinde said “It is not time. We are still talking. We have made some demands on the party. One day is a long time in politics. So, we are still talking and we are hopeful that some form of alignment will be reached at the end of the day.”
Speaking on his ongoing consultation and reconciliation with aggrieved members of the party in the state, the Governor said he is also stretching the hands of fellowship to some aggrieved members who have left the party in pursuit of their political ambition on other political platform.
He assured that some of the results that has been achieved so far includes the assurance by some of the concerned individuals who have also indicated positive disposition to dropping their ambitions and coming back to rejoin the PDP.
“We have been reaching out to people that are aggrieved within the party but those that have left the party, it is a totally different approach because some of them left because of their political ambition.
“But, we are still reaching out even to some of them and some have indicated positive disposition to dropping those ambitions and coming back to join us in the party. The work is ongoing.”
