Osun 2022: PDP Chieftain Cautions Governorship Aspirants
Ahead the 2022 governorship election in Osun State, aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been cautioned to take an introspection before submitting their Intention Form to contest the election.
A chieftain of the party from Iwo Federal Constituency, Ade Babajide Oke Adan, gave the advice in an open letter to the seven aspirants who have so far made public their intention to contest the governorship election.
Adan, in the open letter, a copy of which was made available to Newscoven.ng, wrote: “Osun is set for another round of political battle. PDP has seven aspirants. Dear Excellencies, before you submit your intention form, embark on fresh round of introspection.
“Don’t rebuff this admonition yet. The introspection now centres around several indices you may want to apply. If you deploy such review mechanism, you may see the futility of pursuing the ambition further. You may then think of opting out and forging alliances.
“Let examine those factors that may form final decision-making matrix. First is how exciting has your declaration being? How has the party reacted to your aspiration?
“You may perceive very cold responses. Or a level of suppressed anger. Or streaming hate messages over family or political betrayal. Or responses have been enthusiastic and electric. You just have to be honest with yourself at this point.
“Secondly, are you sure you have a grip of the party structure? I mean what is your loyality rating and command among wards and local executives of the party? Just work out the maths. Can you pull it through?
“This exercise has to be based on evidential action. Check out the delegates structures. You may sooner than later be convinced that submitting form may amount to an exercise in futility.
“Thirdly, do you have the socio-economic structures to defeat an incumbent? After you have reviewed your strengths within the party structures, do you truly have the social and economic machinery across the 30 local governments to stop the re-election of an incumbent?
“We all know that such structures are critical in electoral battles. This includes entrench links across the social strata of the society.
“Fourthly, do you have the credibility and integrity with the party hierarchy, the rank and file? Are you a new comer who is playing the opportunistic card? Are you a serial decampee whose stock in trade is cross-carpeting?
“Or are you a deadly viper, Judas stabbing his family in the back? Or are you the household names among party Chiefs and members? Again, lying to oneself is the most deadly cancerous disease.
“The Number 5 point has to do with your financial muscle. Yes, this should not be but it is a fact of our political life. Your war chest must be very sound. Can you blow Five Billion Naira on the Osun Project?
“Forget those fake promises from slipperry quarters. Can you afford just One Billion Naira? Remmeber we are facing an incumbent governor? Why pretending? Even the Nomination Form was paid by someone for you!!!
“Going to number six, you think you are highly qualified more than anybody else in the race. Good to hear. But come to think of it, you are only requested to satsify basic qualification to contest.
“What you need to win is an electric communion with the voters. And what you need to govern is wisdom, vision and capacity to create a competency-based team.
“Are you charismatic at all or just a drab figure with zero capacity to connect with voters? Or are you a ‘mister know it all’ who foolishly think only the leader, himself, is wise? Please, several factors combined to make a good governor.
“For the seventh point, any aspirant with a family question mark has more thinking to do. He must have seen that his intrusive and divisive aspiration has not gained traction. He could not go to his town on the town’s day.
“Extensive facts have emerged on the decades of his gains and pampering by the same family chief he now betrayed. His case differs among all the aspirants. He only need to sleep with a Bible to wake up to tear his nomination form and run to Pope for redemption from imminent perdition.
“Excellencies, you can engage in horse-trading. Let make proposals on conditions for presenting a winning candidate. But we need a consensus arrangement. If we forget political bitterness and we focus on securing power, we can go a long way.
“Our winning candidate must have electric personality. This excites voters to vote and defend their votes. He must be qualified by possessing the requisite qualifications.
“All the aspirants meet this criteria. He must have the war chest and must be a loyal party man to the core. We have one and that is Senator Ademola Adeleke. Excellencies, I wish our party the best of outing.”
