Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in the March 9 governorship election, has withdrawn from the coalition agreement he and his party had with Governor Seyi Makinde.
Recall that Lanlehin’s ADC and other governorship candidates of the Zenith Labour Party, (ZLP), Barr Sharafadeen Alli and Chief Bolaji Ayorinde of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) formed a coalition with Makinde’s PDP to win the governorship election.
But his media office, in a statement released on Tuesday morning, said Lanlehin was quiting the coalition because of Governor Makinde’s “non-compliance” with the terms of the coalition agreement.
The actual terms the governor breached were however not stated even though suspicions could float around the recent appointments made by the governor, the most recent of which is the appointment of Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun as Secretary of the State Government and Dr. Nureni Adeniran, an associate of ex-governor Rashidi Ladoja, as chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). This is in addition to an earlier constitution of a State Advisory Council headed by Sen. Hosea Agboola.
It could also be recalled that Sharafadeen Alli of the ZLP who was listed in the council withdrew from it for personal reasons. Makinde disclosed at the weekend that his commissioner-nominees’ list will be out in two weeks.
The statement from Lanlehin’s media office reads:
Senator Olufemi Lanlehin (Solan), Oyo State Leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) hereby announces forthwith, his personal withdrawal from the coalition he has with Engr. Seyi Makinde, the Oyo State governor;
Recall that Senator Lanlehin, former Oyo State gubernatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) joined forces with other opposition parties’ governorship candidates to back Makinde, and the gubernatorial victory was thereupon resounding;
Lanlehin, who hinged his decision to quit the coalition on what he termed Governor Makinde’s non compliance with the spirit and letters of the terms of the gubernatorial pre-election agreement reached, however maintains that his party, the ADC is at liberty to remain in the coalition, and believes it should, in fact, remain;
Lanlehin, going forward, states that while he remains a committed member of the ADC, he would adopt a “siddon look” posture in the governance of Oyo State and allied matters;
Thank you.
SIGNED
Lanlehin Media Bureau
Ibadan
2 July, 2019.
