Daniel Agbolade
Ahead of 2019 general elections, gubernatorial candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde, Friday in Ibadan unveiled Mr. Rauf Aderemi Olaniyan, as his running mate.
State Chairman of the party, Mr. Kunmi Mustapha, who did the unveiling at the inauguration of the gubernatorial campaign committee of the party, said the decision to pick Olaniyan was arrived at after consultations with party's stakeholders and elders.
Present at the event are former Minister of Sports, Mr. Taoheed Adedoja, former Chief of Staff in the state, Mr. Saka Balogun, Mrs. Bosede Adedibu and Mr. Sunday Ogunlade.
Others are Mr. Kola Balogun, Mr. Nuraini Adeniran, Mr. Femi Balalola, Mr. Wole Oyelese, and Director General of the campaign committee, Mr. Bayo Lawal, among others.
Olaniyan, an indigene of Igboho in Oorelope local government area in Oke Ogun geopolitical zone of the state, served as General Manager of Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OYSROMA), during the tenure of Mr Rasheed Ladoja, as governor.
He was also among the 13 gubernatorial aspirants of African Democratic Congress (ADC) before he later moved to PDP as a result of the crisis which hit the party after its primaries.
The party chairman who similarly performed the inauguration of the 162-man campaign committee, charged members to work for the success of the party in 2019.
The gubernatorial candidate in his address, while promising to reactivate two major sectors he said the present administration in the state had abandoned, stated that he would incorporate the people living with disabilities, the aged and the vulnerable groups in his government through various polices that will enhance their standard of living.
Makinde who unveiled his manifesto christened, "Oyo State Roadmap for accelerated development 2019-2023", charged committee members to work together in order to win the hearts of the electorate in the state.
Former Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mrs Jumoke Akinjide, said the people of the state had tested both PDP and ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and have seen that the party is better than APC, noting that it is left with PDP to decide what to do to win the forthcoming election.
She urged PDP gubernatorial candidate, Makinde, to embrace all aspirants that contested with him for the ticket of the party, stating that people of the state are waiting eagerly for the party to rescue them from the abyss that the state has been plunged into by the ruling party.
The former minister who lauded the party for the choice of Olaniyan as the running mate to the gubernatorial candidate, noted that she was confident that the party within four years will turn around the fortune of the state.