•Says ‘I was thrown under the bus’
The standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Oyo, during the March 28 governorship election, Senator Teslim Folarin, on Saturday, said he lost his bid to govern the state due to what he termed “political arrangement” for the party to win the presidential poll for President Bola Tinubu.
Describing the APC as the strongest party in the state, having won the three senatorial seats of Oyo South, Oyo Central and Oyo North, including nine federal constituency seats out of 14, he declared that “I was thrown under the bus” as part of the high wired politics and intrigues of our party to secure victory during the February 25 presidential election.
Folarin made this disclosure in Idigbaro, Ologuneru area of Ibadan while addressing APC members during a reception and victory party held in honour of a member, representing Ibarapa/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Honourable Remi Abasi Oseni.
Speaking in Yoruba, he stated: “If we are talking about the strongest party in Oyo State today, it is APC. We won three senatorial seats and nine out of federal constituency seats. Our people are already in the election tribunal and I can tell you that we would win two more federal constituency seats. On the governorship election, we were thrown under the bus.”
According to Folarin, “In politics, if I am asked to choose between governorship and presidency, I will choose the latter. We have taken the presidency and our president, Senator Bola Tinubu is doing well. Things are hard now, but I want Nigerians to bear and exercise patience because better days are coming soon.
“Let us stand with this government because it is our government. This is because if there’s a problem in the future regarding governance, they will say we need to call the Yoruba to fix it. Two things are constant in my life, which are Islam and politics. My own level has passed the fact that I have to become the governor before thanking God.”
Speaking at the event, Oseni expressed his gratitude for the support and love he received during and after his election, just as he promised to provide qualitative representation to his constituency in the House of Representatives.
He posted: “Nigerians should be patient with President Tinubu because he has the capacity to address the nation’s challenges and turn Nigeria’s situation around for good. I’m pleading with you to give him maximum support for him to succeed.”
Dignitaries, who graced the occasion include, Senator Teslim Folarin, former deputy governors of Oyo State, Iyiola Oladokun, Moses Alake, Shina Alabi, chairman of the APC in Oyo South senatorial district, Honourable Mojeed Olaoya, former chairman of Ibadan North Local Government, Mr Ademola Omotosho, traditional rulers, clerics, among others