By Adeola Badru

AHEAD of the March 11, governorship election, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo State, yesterday, traded words over an alliance for the poll. 

While the PDP debunked the alleged rumours making the rounds that the party is supporting the APC candidate, Teslim Folarin, the opposition party called for any evidence of the purported agreement. 

The denouncement came on the heels of an alliance with APC by some aggrieved PDP members named ‘PDP Vanguard’, allegedly drumming support for the APC governorship candidate, Folarin, ahead of the election.

In a statement by the PDP Publicity Secretary in the state, Akeem Olatunji, there is no truth in the report whatsoever.

Olatunji, however, urged the electorate to vote for Governor Seyi Makinde and all PDP candidates in the House of Assembly elections.

The statement reads: “The PDP Oyo State wishes to draw the attention of the general public to the news making the rounds that the PDP in Oyo State is in support of the APC candidate in the March 11, 2023 elections.

“We want to state that there is no truth to this statement whatsoever as it’s a wicked lie that emanated from the desperate Oyo State APC leadership who have accepted defeat even before March 11th gubernatorial election.”

“We, therefore, appeal to our teeming supporters and all lovers of good governance to come out en-masse on Saturday, March 11, 2023, and vote for Seyi Makinde and All candidates of the PDP at the State House of Assembly Elections. Let the good works continue.”

On its part, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Oyo State, Mr Olawale Sadare said: “Those behind the wicked rumour are some unscrupulous elements whose motive is to mislead the public and attract undue sympathy from certain quarters outside the state.

“To set the record straight, Oyo PDP did its best to secure victory for all its candidates at last Saturday’s election but they failed simply because Oyo APC was far ahead of them in terms of preparedness, human resources and strategy.”