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The management of Parrot 101.1 FM, Ogbomoso, a radio station owned by a former governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala on Wednesday morning cancelled a live interview programme that was arranged with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, citing tension in the land as the reason for the cancellation.
According to reports, Makinde’s convoy had arrived at the premises of the radio station around 10:50 am for the live interview programme scheduled for 11:00 am but he was quickly invited for discussions by the management of the station immediately he alighted from his car.
Makinde, Prince Dotun Oyelade and a PDP leader, Chief Jacob Adetoro, and other party members in his entourage later had a discussion with the General Manager of the station, Mr. Ademola Adeniyi, for about five minutes over the matter.
While speaking on the development, Adeniyi, said he had called Prince Oyelade earlier before the arrival of Makinde to intimate him of the tension in the land.
Adeniyi offered to have a recorded interview instead of a live programme with Makinde, but the PDP governorship candidate and his team rejected the offer.
The situation did not go down well with Prince Oyelade who questioned Adeniyi over the sudden change in arrangement from a live interview to a recorded programme. He said the PDP team had an option to accept or reject the offer, maintaining that they bargained for a live interview.
Afterwards, Makinde asked his team to leave the premises, saying “let us go and do a road show, then we will from there go to Ajilete FM.”
Adeniyi who debunked insinuations that the owner of the radio station was behind the cancellation of the programme said:“We had an information that tension is brewing in the community this morning. Also, some people, mostly members of the PDP had been protesting in the neighbourhood distributing inciting leaflets with ‘O to ge’ inscription. So, we felt that going on live with Engineer Seyi Makinde this morning could worsen the already tensed situation occasioned by the development.”