PDP, APC disagree over Awolowo

Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo
| credits: www.ynaija.com

A People’s Democratic Party chieftain in Ogun State, Chief Olukoye Ijaduoye, has said that presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), will not win in the state during next year’s presidential election.

Ijuduoye said that Buhari’s military government brutalised Yourba sons upon assumption of power, stressing that the people of the region will not vote for the former Head of State on that account.

The PDP chieftain, who spoke in Akure on Sunday said, “The people of Ogun State and the entire South-West will reject the former dictator with our votes for detaining Chief Obafemi Awolowo.”

Ijaduoye also lamented the detention of a former governor of the state, the late Chief Bisi Onabanjo.

But the Director, Communications, Buhari Campaign Organisation, Mr. Dele Alake, described the allegations as an attempt by the PDP to distract Nigerians from the many problems facing the country.

He said Buhari never detained Awolowo and also denied the allegation that Buhari was a tribalist.

Alake told our correspondent that the tribunal which tried Onabanjo comprised both Yoruba and Hausa and wondered why the PDP would twist facts.

He said, “In the first instance, the allegations are puerile, illogical and not factual. We said we would not engage them on mundane issues but focus our campaign on germane issues that affect the welfare of Nigerians. It is only when they have nothing to say that they resort to mudslinging and all kinds of abuses and hurling of insults.

“The allegations are not true. Will the man care to know that Buhari’s driver of many years is a Yoruba man. In any case, Buhari never detained Awolowo; that is the lie of the century. He never detained Awo for one day.

“I never heard of that and I was an active reporter at that time. They are just propagating rumours and insults in order to divert the attention of Nigerians away from salient issues such as corruption and infrastructural decay.”