PDP is back to reckoning in Southwest – Arokodare

● South-West will reject Muslim-Muslim ticket

While the All Progressives Congress, APC, is smarting from the outcome of the Osun State governorship poll, a Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ekiti State, Hon. Yemi Arokodare is basking in the euphoria and evidently upbeat about the party’s fortunes in 2023.

The former member of the House of Representatives, said, on Sunday, that “the PDP is back to reckoning in the South-West with the sweet victory in Osun State.”

In a statement in Abuja, Arokodare, who is the Chief Convener of the Ekiti Coalition for Atiku, ECA, said the pattern of voting in Osun State had shown that “Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim ticket is already dead on arrival.

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“Starting from Osun, Christians and Muslims have rejected the same faith ticket because it threatens national integration.”

He commended Sen. Ademola Adeleke for working very hard “to reclaim his mandate, which was stolen four years through intimidation and collusion.”

According to the former lawmaker, “it is a new dawn for the PDP in the South-West and this reclamation victory coming as the last phase of the off-cycle elections into the 2023 general elections is significant.”

Arokodare commended the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, Presidential candidate of the PDP, Vice President Atiku Abubakar, his running mate, Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa, Gov. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Gov. Godwin Obaseki, Gov. Douye Diri, former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki and other PDP leaders for “showing uncommon leadership that ensured our victory in Osun State.”

“The involvement of the PDP leaderships in the PDP’s success in Osun State was very symbolic as they made sure that all various interest groups were brought together to form a formidable team to ensure victory,” he said.

The statement added: “if not for some political wheeler-dealers who repeatedly truncated PDP’s chances in Ekiti State, our party would have evened the APC in the South-West by now.

“However, the APC should be sore afraid ahead of the 2023 general elections because we have been further energised by our victory in Osun State to make it difficult for them to win.

“There will be no home advantage for Asiwaju Tinubu in the South-West, having demonstrated insensitivity to Nigeria’s religious diversity and failing to respect the people’s feelings about politics.

“The APC cannot mismanage Nigeria’s diversity, widen our fault lines and think they can profit from reckless politics; the people of South-West will resist injustice, bad politics and the lack of inclusion and fair play by the APC.

“Before January 2023, it would be apparent to the APC that it cannot win the Presidential election, and it may become an insignificant minority after the general elections.”