Oyo North Senatorial District candidate of Accord, Hon. Shina Abiola Peller, has revealed why the party formed a coalition with Governor Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Peller made the disclosure while speaking at a stakeholders meeting of the party on Saturday in Ibadan, the state capital.
The lawmaker, currently representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Iwajowa/Kajola Federal Constituency, explained that he and other Accord chieftains in the state decided to form the coalition after the presidential and National Assembly elections due to the failure of the party to win either senate or house of representatives seats.
He added that he told the gubernatorial candidate of the party, Adebayo Adelabu, that there was no way the party (Accord) could win the gubernatorial election when it failed to win the Senate or House of Representatives seats.
He insisted that this was what prompted him and other chieftains of the party to form a coalition with Makinde of PDP.
Peller, while speaking, further maintained that the coalition was formed after a meeting with Oke Ogun traditional rulers.
“I told our gubernatorial, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, that there is no way we can win the election. I cannot take my people to this kind of election. The election that we don’t have a Senator or House of Representatives seat and the gubernatorial candidate lost in his polling unit, can we still continue with such election?
“I told Adelabu to remember the interest of the party members. We thank God many things have happened. We thank God that we still have life today.
“The reason for this meeting is to chart a way forward. We want whatever we say here to get to wards and local government. People don’t vote for the party again but the people.
“A governor is a governor over everyone. We need to put our heads together. We are here to appraise our performance. Why we supported Makinde. We formed a coalition and supported governor Seyi Makinde for his re-election. We have been clamouring for university for the past 70 years in Oke Ogun, he gave us a campus of LAUTECH in Iseyin.
“The roads from Ibadan-Iseyin, Ogbomoso-Iseyin-Oyo-Iseyin, all these are for the development of Oke Ogun. The traditional rulers called all the political parties to decide what we can do for the benefit of the state in general after the presidential and national assembly elections.
“We thank God that we supported him. He is a good person. We will not regret it. He has promised a government of inclusiveness. That is why we have to come together and talk to ourselves. What has happened has happened. Don’t fight anyone, accept them. Let our meetings continue”.