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The governorship candidates of leading political parties that will participate in the March 2 governorship election in Oyo state on Sunday stated thier positions on the Olubadan chieftaincy matter which is still in court.
The candidates revealed the various stands they would take on the matter while taking part in the governorship debate organised by Fresh FM, Ibadan.
Six out of the seven invited candidates were present at the debate. The candidates present were Chief Adebayo Adelabu of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Olufemi Lanlehin of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Princess Bola Sarumi-Aliyu of the National Interest Party (NIP), Engr. Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Engr. Hakeem Alao of the Alliance for Democracy, Chief Sharafadeen Alli of the Zenith Labour Party(ZLP). Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala of the Action Democratic Party(ADP) was absent.
All the candidates were unanimous that since the case is in court, it will beprejudice to talk extensively on the issue, but promised to obey and effect any court judgement on the matter.
Lanlehin stated that he will “follow the judgment of the court” because as a lawyer himself, he knows what it means to disregard a court judgment.
Alli also said he will respect the judgment of the court even though he knows, as a chief himself, that “what the government has done is very wrong.”
Adelabu in his own submission simply said “ whatever the court decides, I will respect the judgement of the court.”
On his own part, the candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) candidate, Hakeem Alao said: “The people, especially the Ibadan indigenes, should find a way to resolve the imbroglio between the Ibadan obas because no development can take place where there is no unity.”
Makinde said: “Let the cases in court run its course but we must employ alternative mechanism to resolve the issues.”
However, Sarumi-Aliyu took a slightly different route. She said: “ I will respect our culture greatly. Why have 100 kings when the law says only one king should be in the land.”
All the candidates promised to pay workers N30,000 as minimum wage, look into the issue of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) and ensure that education is absolutely free in both primary and secondary schools in the state.
They also promised to resuscitate the health sector and ensure that the sector is adequately funded, adding that their focus will be on the primary health care because it is the closest to the grass root.