The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, has told the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state that it cannot rely on attacking the governor to legitimize its wobbling campaign for the 2023 election.
Adisa, who made the declaration in a statement made available to newsmen, stated that recent baseless attacks on the governor by the spokesperson of the APC in Oyo State, Olawale Sadare, were nothing but attention-seeking moves aimed at gaining undeserved relevance for an obviously failed campaign to unseat the incumbent Oyo Governor in 2023.
The statement read in part: “I’ve read the statement credited to the spokesperson of the APC in Oyo State, calling on Governor Makinde to resign over what he called the “notebook contract scandal,” wherein he also made a rehearse of some subjects that were already well-addressed by my office and other government officials in recent times.
“You cannot talk about scandal where there is none. We have earlier explained that the government did not give out the exercise books at the rate of N2,100 as claimed in the false alarm by the APC.
“We have equally stated that the said exercise books were awarded at amounts lesser than the prevailing market price at the time, thus saving the government some funds.
“But it appears the APC is bent on listening only to the fabricated lies and falsehood.
“While we can allow them wander in that wilderness of lies, we say boldly that the governor has nothing to hide as far as the issues raised by the APC are concerned.
“Governor Makinde said he would resign from office based on his conviction that the exercise books contracts were awarded at prices that placed the State at advantage.
“Nothing has changed about that. He stands by that because the facts are there for everyone to see. The fact is that none of the contracts was awarded at more than N200 each. So where lies the charge that the governor should resign for awarding the contract at N2,100 each? Who has conducted an investigation to prove the governor wrong?
“Again on the mass transit buses, the Chairman of Pacesetter Transport Service, had clarified that the buses are up and running and that they are already visible at the Bus Terminals in Ojoo and Challenge in Ibadan. Which other evidence does anyone need to ascertain that the Pacesetter buses are already operational?
“But the APC, desperate to situate its moribund campaign, is clutching at all manners of falsehood just to be seen as playing the role of an opposition.
“Even though the time for politicking and campaigns are here, political actors are not allowed to throw away decency and decorum in their bid to market dead horses like the Oyo APC.”
