The Oyo State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Publicity Secretary, Engr. Akeem Olatunji has stepped down on his Oluyole Federal House of Representatives ambition with immediate effect.
It was exclusively gathered on Monday morning (today) from sources close to Makinde that the Governor has given Olatunji his words of assurances to Olatunji in exchange for him to focus more on building the image of the party than contesting for the House of Representatives and leaving the media department to vulnerability.
It is understood that the PDP Oluyole Federal House of Representatives ticket was being keenly contested between the Deputy Chief of Staff to Oyo state Governor, Abdulmajeed Mogbonjubola and Akeem Olatunji, the state publicity Secretary of the ruling party.
Some sources within the party told this news medium today that Governor’s plan for Olatunji in the media unit of the party precedes the currently heightened political activities in the state. The sources said Olatunji’s PDP Publicity Secretary office was among the uncontested slots Governor Makinde specially secured for Olatunji during the PDP state congress last year.
Olatunji who is believed to be the most favourite among all the House of Representatives aspirants to clinch the Oluyole federal constituency PDP ticket has however, maintained that Governor Makinde who he described as his political father and leader has the final say despite his earlier adoption by the Oluyole PDP Stakeholders as the consensus candidate for the House of Representatives ticket.
According to sources close to Olatunji, his decision to step down his House of Reps political ambition stems from his unalloyed loyalty to Governor Seyi Makinde and his unwavering commitment to the PDP which he described as ‘home’ saying even though painful, he draws consolation in the assurances of Governor Makinde.
It would be recalled that PDP Stakeholders in Oluyole local government had in a unanimous decision adopted Olatunji as the party’s consensus candidate for Oluyole federal constituency following the party’s preference for consensus as against direct primary election as declared by Governor Seyi Makinde who is the overall leader of PDP in Oyo state and the South West region.
Olatunji explained that he has had a private meeting with Governor Makinde over the weekend noting that the discussion was very fruitful and productive as he was able to understand the agenda of the party in more specific terms.
This online newspaper also gathered that a delegation of the PDP stakeholders in Oluyole, local government and executives, majority of the councillors and supervisory councillors led by Hon Olumide Akinlade during a solidarity visit to Akeem Olatunji at his Sanyo residence in Ibadan, reaffirmed their support for his political ambition at his residence in Soka area of Ibadan on Sunday.
However, a twist in the unfolding development regarding Oluyole federal constituency indicates that Governor Makinde does not want the media office of the party in Oyo state to suffer as it prepares ahead for 2023 general election.
It is also gathered that Makinde has given Akeem Olatunji his words of assurances for a juicy offer after the successful execution of the forthcoming 2023 general election.
The final ratification by the Ambassador Taofeeq Arapaja led committee is expected to take place within the week before the party primary which will be supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
