By Ola Ajayi
IBADAN—ONE of the governorship aspirants of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Chief Femi Lanlehin, has said the current political emancipation of the South West by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has automatically made him the leader of the zone.

Lanlehin said the doggedness and true democratic culture being imbibed by the former Lagos State Governor is gradually eclipsing the violent and primitive and outdated political style of the Peoples Democratic Party in the zone.

He called on the ACN chieftain not to relent in his efforts to bring light to the political landscape of the zone but to double his efforts and salvage other states in the zone from political hawks that have held the zone by the jugular since the PDP forcefully took political power from the progressives.

He said these while speaking with newsmen after the tour of the 33 local governments in the state to seek their support for his governorship ambition.

Lanlehin used the forum to restate that he was not fronting for the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo or the ruling PDP but, he has decided to join other progressives in the zone to bring political freedom which had eluded the zone since 1999.

He promised to turn the state around if voted as the governor of the state adding that Oyo State had been bending and complaining under the yoke of the PDP and the people of the state should not commit another political suicide by voting for the party that had deprived them of good living for more than eight years.

The only way the people can be free from servitude and slavery, according to him, is to use their votes to say no to the PDP.

For the zone to benefit from democracy, he added that it must retrace its steps and follow the vision of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

To him, it would be out of place for Oyo State to still attach itself to the political apron of the PDP when other neighbouring states like, Lagos, Ekiti, Ondo and Osun have freed themselves.

He pleaded with the state to join other states where ACN is giving good and enviable leadership that should characterize true democracy.