BY OLA AJAYI

IBADAN-THE Peoples Democratic Party Minority Leader in Oyo State House of Assembly, Alhaji Rafiu Adekunle, has said any political party that did not present an Ibadan indigene as its governorship candidate would continue to lose election in the state.

He said with the numerical superiority of Ibadan, it would be tantamount to political suicide if any politician toyed with Ibadan in any election.

He lamented the overbearing influence of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo saying the results of the alleged influence now stared them in the face.

He gave the statistics that as at now, Ibadan constitutes 62 per cent of the whole population in the state and they would continue to produce the governor due to their number.

The lawmaker who aligned with those calling for the reconstitution of the state executive council of the party, also scored high the administration of the Action Congress led by Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

While speaking with newsmen in Ibadan, the lawmaker stated that the large-heartedness of Governor Ajimobi could not be compared with any other previous governors in the state.

He said it was rare for a governor to appoint members of the opposition party as commissioners and special advisers in the history of the state.

Though, he advised the governor to channel the issue of joint ownership of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology through the legislative arm for possible amendment, he said, the governor started well and up till now he is still doing well.

On the leadership crises in the PDP, the legislator said part of measures in achieving true and long lasting reconciliation was that the executives of the PDP in the state should be reconstituted to reflect and accommodate all the interest in the party.

Advising Ajimobi to follow the normal procedure as regards the LAUTECH ownership tussle by sending the existing gazette signed by the former Governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala to the legislature for possible amendment adding that since there is an existing law ceding the ownership of the institution to Oyo State, it would be wrong for the incumbent governor to change it without going through the House.

On the issue of joint account between the state and local government, he reasoned that “The outright autonomy for local government would go a long way in strengthening the local government. The current system where the state and local government councils operate joint account does not give room for faster development at the grass roots.

“There is no justification for continuous operation of joint accounts between the state and local government councils because, from what we have seen so far, the third tier of government has been completely muzzled in the country as a result of undue interference with funds that accrue to them by some states executives”, he said.