Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Walid Jibrin, says the victory of Senator Ademola Adeleke at Saturday’s Osun governorship election is a turning point for the main opposition party’s success in 2023.
Jibrin while congratulating the governor-elect, noted that, with the victory, Osun people had sent a clear message of the party’s (PDP) stand in the whole country in 2023.
He said Adeleke’s victory at the poll did not come to him as a surprise, adding that he was optimistic that the PDP would be victorious.
According to Walid, “I was there at Osun during the last campaign and the number of people that turned out for the rally was unbelievable and I was so sure that the PDP will win Osun State.
“And this is just the beginning of victory. What has happened in Osun State now is an indication of the PDP’s stand in the whole country. We as a party have learned our lessons and the Yoruba are beginning to learn their lessons too, by coming out to elect Chief Adeleke. We are rest assured that other states in western Nigeria will be won by the PDP come 2023.
“By the grace of God, all other states in the country will vote for us. So, the issue of the APC campaign for a Muslim-Muslim presidency will not work. You can bear me witness that it didn’t work in Osun State; so we should not support this kind of politics.
“Our concern should be based on who is the best candidate for us that can be in charge of the country.”
The PDP BoT chairman deplored “politics of religion” being introduced by other parties ahead of the forthcoming polls, saying that such idea could breed confusion and bring war amongst people that have been existing peacefully.
He added, “When you look at the life of our Prophet Muhammad, when they were killing Muslims in Mecca, he (Prophet Muhammad) asked them to come and he gave them a letter to give to one Christian king, and the Muslim who were being killed in Mecca went to that Christian king, the king received them, gave them land, he gave them everything, he lived with them. Is there any division there?
“And when Muhammad again was suffering attacks with his people in Mecca, he left for Medina; upon reaching there, he called all the Christians, the Jews and all other religions and they formed a government of unity and we have been following him. So, why are we coming out to say it must be Muslim-Muslim leadership in Nigeria.”