Despite an array of aspirants jostling for the governorship seat of Oyo State ahead of the 2019 election, Governor Abiola Ajimobi has disclosed that he was yet to decide on his preferred successor in the forthcoming elections in the state.
The governor made this known at the end of a two-day Capacity Building Programme organised for newly elected local government chairmen and heads of local government administration in the state.
He maintained that having laboured to raise the standards of governance in the state, his wish was to be succeeded by someone who would build on his unprecedented achievements by taking the state to an enviable height.
Ajimobi said: “Only God ordains or dethrones kings. Only God and the people of Oyo State will determine my successor. But I am sure that our people will not allow the state to fall into the hands of charlatans who will retard our progress.”
“With the level we have reached, we want a competent, highly cerebral person with track record of achievements to be the next governor. We want somebody who will not only envision and visualize, but who will have the courage to do what is right.”
“Our state doesn’t deserve people whose sole purpose is to come and line their pockets. We want influential people that will earnestly serve our people and continue from where we would stop.”
“A leader takes people where they want to go. But we want a great leader who will be prepared to take our people to where they don’t necessary want to go, but ought to be. A leader that will not be intimidated by some private interest groups from doing what is right.”
Ajimobi, while congratulating the chairmen for being the first set of council bosses to be inaugurated over seven years of administration, noted that their final election has put stop to innuendos of the political opponents and has disabused the minds of the cynics.
“The cynics have thought the election will not be conducted and now, the elections were finally held. Your final election has put a stop to the innuendos of the political opponents who thought the elections will not be held.”
