By Our Reporter

Chief Adebayo Adelabu has described Governor Makinde and Senator Folarin’s absence at ICCI’ debate as ostrich play.

Naijanewshub.com.ng reports that the Governorship candidate of the Accord Party in Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has vilified the absence of the governorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party Engr. Seyi Makinde, who is also the incumbent governor of the state and that of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Teslim Folarin at a recent guber debate held at the Civic Centre in Ibadan, the state capital, saying their absence was intentional.

The Ibadan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, ICCI, had organised the forum to give the candidates an alternative platform to market their programmes to the people.

However, Gov. Makinde of the PDP and Senator Folarin of the APC were conspicuously absent.

Speaking while featuring on a popular radio station in ibadan days after the debate, Chief Adelabu said the absence of the two self acclaimed big wigs could not stop the debate from going ahead as it gave the five candidates present the opportunity to ventilate their thoughts and marshal out their programmers to the people of the state.

“Their absence didn’t deter us as we engaged in highly intellectual discussion to forge a meaningful way forward for Oyo State. The progress of Oyo State is our desired goal not political bickerings

The much talked about experience in politics (Teslim Folarin) is a terrible point full of corruption and mudslinging. It is part of what has fully worked to keep us down. What we need is experience in the executive, where we work and forge a working solution to problems in our community and state.

Experience in governance is what we desire in our state over experience in politics. We want competent people to spearhead our executive not mere professional politicians.”

Speaking further, Adelabu said Accord remains the only party wired to meet the needs of the people of Oyo State.

The former CBN Deputy Governor said he chose Accord Party over others because it is a grassroots mobiliser.

“We have tested all the parties in the state, none of them has been very productive to meet our needs. Let’s try Accord this one time. I chose Accord platform because it is a grassroots mobilizer party that constitutes the farmers, Agbekoyas, natives of Ibadan, marketers, traders, vigilantes and lots more.

Accord has won elections in the State Assembly and House of Representatives with structures across all the Local governments wards. Accord is also number one on the ballot so you don’t need to stress yourself before you locate our party on the ballot paper.

Accord is a party of artisans and market women that has it’s members cutting across the state. It is a well established political party in the state.

The members of Accord coupled with teeming followers that moved with me from the APC makes the party formidable and well rooted.  The symbol of the party is one we can all relate with and being the first on the ballot are things that  aided my choice of it.”

Chief Adelabu carpeted the current administration in the state for failing woefully to contain the rising insecurity in the state.

He accused the Makinde Administration of dragging Oyo security backwards despite the huge legacy left by the Ajimobi administration in that regard.

He vowed to leverage on his experience as a former Chairman, Board of Oyo State Security Trust Fund to tackle the problem of insecurity bedeviling the state.

“I was the Chairman of Oyo Security Trust Fund Board during Ajimobi government and then there was no news of kidnapping, robbery or thuggery around Oyo State but now what do we have with their low level of security awareness in the state; constant robbery, our youths have embraced thuggery as a way of life across towns.

The incumbent government has glorified thuggery. Oyo State today is vulnerable to attacks. During the government of Late Sen. Abiola Ajimobi, we all knew what the security was like. I was the Chairman security trust fund Board. We made available infrastructure that  made security easier and properly catered for the security personnel to motivate them.

Throughout the tenure of Late Gov Ajimobi, there was no single incidence of bank robbery anywhere in Oyo State. We have not forgotten the unfortunate robbery attack that happened at Idi Ape under Makinde.”

Adelabu also insisted that Oyo State needs a financial expert who would drive the economy of the state to an enviable height, urging the people to give him the opportunity to do so by voting for Accord in 2023.

“The Oyo State of today needs a financial expert who will re-engineer the revenue profile of our dear state for sustainable financial support to aid our development.”

“There is a communication gap between Seyi Makinde and the people of Oyo state. When was the last time he spoke to the people. When I get to Govt, I will communicate effectively and regularly with the people of Oyo state. Look at the Streetlight, being powered with Diesel. Is that proper and he is an engineer Adelabu said