A pressure group, the Osun West Peoples Assembly (OWEPA), has appealed to residents of West Senatorial district of the state to be resolute and focused in their bid to produce the next Governor of Osun State just as the other two districts have done in the past.

It also urged the member representing the district at the upper chambers of the National Assembly, Senator Ademola Adeleke, to shun the antics of those urging him to contest the governorship of the state later in the year.

In its New Year message to the people of the area, the Coordinator of the group, Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman, stated that in the interest of justice, fair play and equity, the area should be allowed to produce the successor to the outgoing Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola.

Sulaiman, after a meeting with some youths in his country home, Awo, the headquarters of Egbedore Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday, appealed to Adeleke to work round the clock by ensuring that the district presents credible and generally acceptable governorship candidate for September 22, 2018 governorship election and to shun those he referred to as selfish politicians who are mounting pressure on him to declare intent for the race.

The group urged political leaders and gladiators from the district to close ranks in their various political parties to ensure that candidates of the district emerge from their parties as flag bearers. Sulaiman urged the people of the district to learn from recently conducted National Convention of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where Southwest failed to produce the Chairman of the party owing to bickering and lack of unity with common candidate.

He said: “We wish to assure the good people of Osun State, especially, Osun West Senatorial district that the district would produce the next Governor of the state in the interest of justice, equity and fairness with political equation.

“As a group, we are ready to work with other concern stakeholders to ensure the emergence of credible and generally acceptable candidate for the plum job from the Senatorial district. We are using this medium to reiterate our appeal to Senator Ademola Adeleke to ignore the call of some selfish politicians, who are mounting pressure on him to declare intention to vie for 2018 guber race.”

On why Adeleke should refrain from joining the race, the group stated that: “As it is today in the Senatorial district politically, Ede Federal Constituency comprises of Ede South, Ede North, Egbedore and Ejigbo Local Governments held forth currently as Senator representing the Senatorial district and it would not be out of justification if we allow Ikire Federal Constituency comprises of Ayedaade, Ikire and Isokan Local governments and Iwo Federal Constituency comprises of Ayedire,Iwo and Olaoluwa local governments areas of the State, to field the candidate for the race”.

To achieve the dream, the group has therefore solicited the financial support of two prominent indigenes of the zone, Dr. Deji Adeleke and Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, saying such support will go a long way to realise the governorship dream of the district in this year governorship election.

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