…Says Kishi remains home of progressive politics in Oyo*
Former Oyo State Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Hon. Yekeen Popoola, has dismissed as false and mischievous reports alleging that the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate, Senator Sarafadeen Alli Abiodun, and his running mate, Adedeji, were stoned during their recent tour of Kishi and Igbeti in Oyo State.
Popoola, in a statement made available to journalists, described the report as a calculated attempt to misrepresent the warm reception accorded the APC gubernatorial team by residents and party supporters during the tour.
According to him, Kishi remains a home of progressive politics in Oyo State from time immemorial, stressing that the people of the town have consistently demonstrated their commitment to political understanding, discipline and respect for agreements.
He said the reception given to Senator Sarafadeen Alli Abiodun and his deputy in Kishi was a clear indication that there was no hostility towards the candidates.
“Kishi remains home to progressive politics in Oyo State from time immemorial. Senator Sarafadeen Alli Abiodun and his Deputy, Adedeji, were received by the good people of Kishi. There was nothing like stoning of our gubernatorial candidate and his Deputy,” Popoola stated.
The former ALGON chairman explained that the rumour might have been deliberately circulated by individuals who felt entitled to the rotational arrangement governing the sharing of political tickets among the local government areas that make up the Irepo/Orelope/Olorunsogo Federal Constituency.
Popoola maintained that the rotational agreement remains an important understanding among the stakeholders and that the APC hierarchy is aware of and committed to respecting the arrangement.
He said the people of Kishi had made their position clear to those who sought to create an impression of disagreement, noting that the community would continue to stand by the principle that “agreement is agreement.”
According to him, the issue should not be misconstrued as rejection of the APC gubernatorial candidate or his running mate, but rather as the people of Kishi insisting on adherence to an established political understanding.
Those spreading the rumour are people who feel entitled to the rotational ticket agreement among the local governments that constitute Irepo, Orelope and Olorunsogo. But the hierarchy of the APC is already seized of this agreement, and the good people of Kishi have told them clearly that agreement is agreement. We are known to respect agreements,” he said.
Popoola further urged party members and the general public to disregard what he described as deliberate misinformation designed to create tension within the APC and portray the people of Kishi as hostile to the party’s leadership.
He stressed that political disagreements over the interpretation or implementation of an agreement should not be exaggerated into incidents of violence.
The former ALGON chairman called on APC supporters to remain calm, united and focused, while urging those responsible for spreading the allegation to desist from actions capable of unnecessarily heating up the political environment.
He reiterated that the alleged stoning of Senator Sarafadeen Alli Abiodun and his running mate did not arise in Kishi, insisting that the facts on the ground were completely different from the narrative being circulated.
Popoola therefore urged the public to rely on verified information rather than rumours, adding that Kishi’s long-standing reputation as a community committed to progressive politics should not be damaged by what he described as politically motivated misinformation.