BY OLA AJAYI
IBADAN — CONTRARY to insinuations that the Olubadan of Ibadan had asked the former Governor Rashidi Ladoja of Oyo State to step down from his governorship ambition, he has denied being called upon by the monarch.

Senator Ladoja defected from the crisis-ridden Peoples Democratic Party to pick the governorship ticket of the Accord Party.

He said the rumour was being spread by some political jobbers to prove to the residents of the state that he was a stubborn man.

While speaking with newsmen in his residence at Bodija, Ibadan, the ex-governor said with the daily defection of numerous admirers of Accord Party from other parties in the state, he stated that he had got to the point of no return as regards his ambition.

Painting the picture that it was impossible for him to back out at this stage, he asked what would be the fortune of all other candidates of the party who defected to the party because of him.

In a rally organized about a week ago, the mammoth crowd that attended the rally took people by surprise that the emerging party could pull so much crowd.

Ladoja said, “the political calculation in the state in the present political era has shown that the people cannot be deceived by money. There is no way we can spend like them because we know the implication on the economy of the state, but we will enjoy the goodwill of the people”.

He told the newsmen that the rising profile of the party had taken many people by surprise adding that the party would contest all the seats in Osun when it was time for the election of House o0f Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate.

He further said that his antagonists should just wait and see adding that the seemingly young party would spring surprises at the April election.

On the newness of the party, he alluded to the case of the NCNC in 1959 which proved critics wrong in the election of the period even though it was formed 18 days to the election.