Ahead of the Saturday, July 16 Osun State governorship election, national leaders of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Thursday, stormed Osogbo, the State capital, and rallied support for the election of the party’s candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke.
Among the chieftains of the party present at the rally held at the state secretariat of the party in Osogbo, were the national chairman, Dr Iyocha Ayu, presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, his running mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and four PDP governors.
Addressing the mammoth crowd of party faithful and supporters, the PDP presidential candidate and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, charged Osun electorate to vote massively and ensure that their votes count.
Atiku, who noted that Osun State was PDP state, insisted that PDP had suffered rigging in the past and should not be allowed to happen again.
Also speaking, the party national chairman, Dr. Ayu, said that PDP has come to rescue Nigeria and Osun State by extension from bad governance.
Ayu, who claimed that Osun was in darkness, said light has come to illuminate the state and bring good governance, which he said can only be provided by PDP.
The PDP governorship candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, who spoke shortly after he was presented with the party flag by the PDP national chairman, charged Osun people to vote massively for him for even development in the State.
For grassroots development, Adeleke promised to grant local governments total autonomy, adding that the era of deduction of local government allocations from federation account will be over with the advent of PDP administration in Osun State.
He admonished Osun electorate not to sell their votes but vote for him to enjoy dividends of democracy.
He lamented the alleged denial of the Osogbo Stadium by the state government for the PDP mega rally, adding that despite the denial, his lovers still came out in large numbers.
However, LEADERSHIP observed the conspicuous absence of other critical stakeholders of the party at the megal rally for Adeleke.
Oyo State governor and leader of the party in the South-West zone, Seyi Makinde, was absent at the rally, which was attended by a mammoth crowd.
Also absent were the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike; his Abia State counterpart, Victor Ikpeazu; Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, and Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
